CHENNAI, DEC 17
A day after filing a plea before the Supreme Court against the CAA, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Hassan on Tuesday voiced his dissent on the Jamia University violence of December 15 over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and termed it as “unfortunate”.
Targeting the Centre over the newly amended Citizenship Act, the actor-turned-politician said that this is the beginning of the fall of anti-national forces in the country and this government is in ICU.
Terming the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act as a government trick to divert attention from real issues, Kamal Hassan said, “When the future pillars of India, the students, raise questions, they are oppressed by the government”.
“Every hit on a student is a slap on democracy. There is no justification to students, no safety for women, and no answer to employment. It is a democracy only when the power is with the people,” Haasan said.
Hitting out hard at AIADMK for supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act, Kamal Hassan said that the party is obedient to their masters (read: BJP). “You know who their masters are and that is what it is,” he added.
“What is the urgency for CAA? Why deny Sri Lankan Hindus what is given to Pakistani Hindus?” Kamal Hassan asked.
Kamal Hassan said that many of those currently in power also protested once and urged the youth to be more politically aware.
“Youngsters are scholars and should be aware,” Kamal Hassan said.
On being asked about his plan of action over the Citizenship Amendment Act, Kamal Hassan said that “one does not have to be a student to voice out dissent”.
“My fight will be linear and I will look for legal solutions,” he added.
4 students held for graffiti against CAA in Gujarat
The BJP-ruled Gujarat State police have arrested four college students in Vadodara district on Tuesday for allegedly making objectionable graffiti, which included the word ‘Modi’, to protest the new Citizenship Act.
According to a police officer, they made the ‘swastika’ sign with charcoal in place of ‘o’ in the word ‘Modi’.
Two other persons were detained and they were being questioned, he said.
The miscreants defaced walls outside the police headquarters and a place of worship by writing “no CAB Modi” on Monday, he said.
They made the ‘swastika’ sign in place of ‘o’ in the word ‘Modi’, he added.
The ‘swastika’ is considered a symbol of good luck by Hindus, but it symbolizes fascism in some western countries because of its adoption by the German Nazi party.
A day after moving the Supreme Court, MNM chief Kamal Haasan flays alleged police attack on Jamia students and passing of CAA by the BJP Government in Chennai on Tuesday. NE photo
