Sibal slams Modi Govt, says 'PM, HM are a drag on Indian democracy'

Sibal's remarks came a day after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) slashed India's growth rate for 2019 to 4.8 per cent and said it 'drag on the world economy'.

Addressing media persons at AICC headquarters, the senior Congress leader targeted the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for their 'nine lies' over CAA, NRC and NPR and said 'it is the reality of India now'.

"The Prime Minister and Home Minister have spread nine lies about CAA. Their first lie is that CAA is not discriminatory. The Constitution has five provisions for citizenship of India, religion is not mentioned anywhere. Citizenship Act of 1955 also contains the same provisions," Sibal said.

Pointing out at the 'second lie' by the government that CAA has no connection with NRC, the Congress leader said, "in April 2019, Amit Shah said that CAB will come first, followed by NRC. In December , 2019, Amit Shah spoke of a nationwide NRC after passing CAB in Lok Sabha. The link of CAA-NRC cannot be denied."

"'Third lie'- Modi said in a rally on Dec 22, 2019, that there was no discussion on NRC after he formed government. Whereas, in the President's address to the Joint Session of Parliament on 20 June 2019, NRC implementation primarily was announced," he added.

Stating on the 'fourth lie', that the process of NRC was neither notified nor is it legal, Sibal said, "this is a complete lie because, when NRC was adopted in 2003, article 14 (a) mentions it as being legal and that it will give identity card to every citizen of the country."

"'Fifth lie' - NRC is yet to begin. NRC commencement notification has been issued effective April 1, 2020," he added.

Sibal said there is a 'sixth lie' that NPR has no relation with NRC and added that "the Home Ministry's annual report 2018-19 stated that, 'NPR is the first step to implement NRC'."

"Seventh lie, No Indian needs to be scared", he said, "family members of our former President Fakhruddin Saheb; Kargil War award winner Sanaullah Khan was not named in Assam's NRC. Now in such a situation, if the name of a poor man disappears, what will he do?"

Referring to Modi's remarks that there are no detention centres in the country, the Congress leader said this is 'eighth lie' and added, "988 people are imprisoned in 6 detention centres in Assam alone. In January 2019, Government of India directed to set up Detention Centres".

Taking on Uttar Pradesh government for the 'ninth lie' that no force was used against demonstrators, Sibal said, "28 people died in UP alone. People's houses were burnt, shops were burnt, they entered people's houses and killed them and the BJP government is lying."

Image credit : UNI