Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched anoutreach campaign with the hashtag #IndiaSupportsCAA to gather support for theCitizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which has sparked furious, sometimes deadlyprotests across India in recent weeks.
In the official Twitter handle of PM Modi, it was written that the CAA "is about giving citizenship to persecuted refugees and not about taking anyone's citizenship away".
At the same time, PM Modi tweeted a video featuringspiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, who he said had provided a "lucidexplanation of aspects relating to CAA" and "calls out themisinformation by vested interest groups".
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) fast-tracks naturalization for Pakistani, Afghan and Bangladeshi illegal immigrants from six non-Muslim minority groups who fled religious persecution in their home countries, and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
Protesters opposing the CAA fear it will shieldnon-Muslim illegal migrants identified by a pan-India NRC and make a largenumber of Muslims stateless.
Dozens have been killed during the anti-CAA protests,many of them in Uttar Pradesh. By contrast, only two deaths have been reportedin connection with the pro-democracy agitation in Hong Kong, which has beenunderway for several months.
BJP leaders have said the government didn't anticipatethe anti-CAA protests, which began around the time when the law was beingdebated in Parliament.
The agitation intensified into a nationwide stir soonafter the Delhi Police were accused of using excessive force against studentsat Jamia Millia Islamia.
Protests have also erupted in Assam and stillcontinued against the contentious citizenship law. The people of Assam saidthat they will sacrifice their life but will not accept CAA in anycircumstances.
