The spontaneous protest at Shaheen Bagh which provoked many more.

BJP’s PM labels Jamia, Shaheen Bagh protests as part of some evil design

We can't let them spread anarchy; your vote has power to stop this: Modi

Agency Report | New Delhi | 3 February, 2020 | 11:00 PM

The controversy over BJP leaders' hate speeches against anti-CAA protesters yet to abate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tagged the protests "anarchy" and sought Delhi's mandate to stop it. Accusing Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress of engineering the protests, he said the two parties are playing politics of appeasement. "Hiding behind the constitution and the national flag, they are giving lectures," he said at a rally days before the assembly elections. Delhi has spearheaded the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Inspired by the women's protests at Shaheen Bagh -- which headlined across the world -- women in various cities have hit the streets. The Prime Minister also questioned if these protests were a "coincidence". "Whether it is Seelampur, Jamia or Shaheen Bagh, there have been multiple protests against the CAA. Do you think these protests are a coincidence? It is not. It is all an experiment rooted in politics. If it was simply about a law, it would have ended," PM Modi said. Pointing to the Shaheen Bagh protests that had blocked an arterial road for weeks, PM Modi said, "If their game plan is not stopped, they will block another road or gully tomorrow. We can't let them spread anarchy. Your vote has the power to put a stop to this".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Monday slammed the anti-CAA agitators in Shaheen Bagh and other areas saying the protest against the new citizenship law was an “experiment” and there was a design of politics behind it, which would ruin the national harmony.

Addressing an election rally at Karkardooma in east Delhi, Modi said the spurt in protests in areas like Shaheen Bagh, Seelampur and Jamia were not just co-incidences. “The agitation should have ended after the government assurance (on CAA). Attention is being diverted from the real conspiracy. If this plot grows, they can jam any road, any street in Delhi,” the Prime Minister said.

It was necessary to stop these conspiracies, said Modi and accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress of provoking the people to protest.

Taking a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal without naming him, Modi said: “The country got the Lokpal, but the people of Delhi are waiting for Lokpal. A big movement was staged… many things were done. Now, what happened to all of them?”

Referring to the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Modi said, “The poor can get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh in the central government-run hospitals of Delhi. But it’s not possible in the state government-run hospitals. Has politics become bigger than humanity?”

In an apparent reference to Kejriwal, he said some people had come to “change politics” but now they stand exposed.

Reminding people of the surgical strike, he said “some people even questioned the army. Can they provide safe environment to the people of Delhi?

Modi said, “the people of Delhi first changed the country and now, their vote will change the city. India of 21st century won’t be run by politics of hate but politics of development.”

The BJP leader said, the February 8 polls in Delhi was the first election of this decade and that would decide the future of the national capital as well as the nation.

Stating that the BJP does what it says, Modi promised concrete houses for the slum dwellers and home for the poor.

“I feel sad when I see that the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) is not being implemented. The Centre built 2 crore houses, but not a single house was built in Delhi,” Modi said.

Accusing the Congress of indulging in the politics of manipulation, Modi said his government got the Kartarpur Corridor, the CAA, the National War Memorial, Ram temple, OROP (one rank, one pension), abrogation of Article 370, but “it took 70 years.”

Referring to the Budget presented in Parliament on February 1 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Modi said, “A big reform on employment of youth has been announced.”

To garner the business community’s support, Modi listed the provisions in the budget and said tax reforms and simplification of GST had made doing business easy. (IANS)