Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said India was inching closer towards becoming a “Hindu-centric” country under the leadership of its Prime Minister Narendra Modi and added that the latter would have to take the blame should this lead to bloodshed and even war.
In a tweet, Khan accused Modi of systematically pursuing a “Hindu Supremacist” agenda which originated with what he described as the “illegal annexation and siege” of the Jammu and Kashmir region since August this year and continued with Muslims in India being made refugees.
India, under Modi, has been moving systematically with its Hindu Supremacist agenda. Starting with illegal annexation & continuing siege of IOJK; then stripping 2 mn Indian Muslim in Assam of citizenship, setting up internment camps; now the passage of Citizenship Amendment Law;
The Pakistan Prime Minister’s caustic comment came on a day when protesters in India’s northeastern region, particularly in the state of Assam, defied prohibitory orders and turned violent. Police had to open fire to dispel the agitators who had gathered in huge numbers to register their objections to the Indian Parliament passing the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, (CAB-2019) on Wednesday evening. According to reports, one person has died as the result of police firing, while four others were wounded.
The beleaguered provincial government of Assam fired the police Chief of Guwahati City Deepak Kumar and appointed M.P. Gupta in his place, said officials.
The legislation amended the 1955 Indian nationality law to allow persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to obtain Indian citizenship. After the approval of parliament, the bill now awaits approval from the president before it becomes a law.
Meanwhile, the internet was suspended in several regions of the northeast, and train and air services were affected due to the ongoing violent agitations.
India had stripped the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir of its special quasi-autonomous status on 5 August and divided it into two federally-administered territories on 31 October. The region was placed under a security and communication lockdown for several months, virtually disconnecting it from the outside world.
India, however, has claimed that most restrictions have been withdrawn with the exception of those on internet connectivity.