JUH Bengal Chief threatens to stop Amit Shah at the Kolkata airport

Attacking Home Minister Amit Shah, Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind (JUH)’s West Bengal chief Siddiqullah Chowdhury on Sunday said that they will not allow Amit Shah to step out of Kolkata airport till the amended Citizenship Act is withdrawn. 

The Trinamool government minister claimed that the act is against humanity and those who have been living here for ages.

“The contentious law is against humanity and the citizens of the country living here for ages. We may not allow him (Shah) to step out of the city airport if necessary. We may gather one lakh people there to stop him,” he said to reporters in Kolkata.

On the other hand, the JUH is set to carry out a rally from Kolkata’s Rani Rashmomi road in the afternoon, according to PTI. Police have enhanced its security to avoid any untoward protest. Previously on December 13, the Muslim body had carried out rallies with a tagline ‘Say No to CAB-NRC’ in metro cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. The JUH had also filed a petition demanding a stay on the Act. However, the Supreme Court has rejected the petition to stay the Act and has issued a notice to the Centre on the 59 petitions filed against the Act.

The minister stated that people have rejected BJP. “Just look at the ongoing protests all over the country, including in Calcutta,” he said.

Chowdhury, who addressed the rally at Rani Rasmoni Avenue, said the “56-inch chest” of PM Narendra Modi has let down the people of the country, as he is “pursuing the politics of hatred and division”.

“What they (Modi and Shah) are doing is thrusting one agenda after another on the people. They don’t believe in discussion, they don’t believe in dialogue. We won’t let them pursue this,” he added.

The speakers at the rally also thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allowing them to take out rally against CAA and NRC.

Incidentally, earlier in September,  Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind General secretary Mahmood Madani backed the Centre’s NRC implementation during a press briefing in New Delhi. 

“I feel like demanding NRC in every state. We will come to know that how many infiltrators are there. Those who are genuine citizens of the nation are often questioned. I have no issue in the implementation,” he said.

But now, the minister of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind is threatening to bar Home Minister Amit Shah from stepping out of the Kolkata airport. Is this a constitutional way to protest against the CAA? Is it right to threaten the Home Minister of the country? Is it fair to choose violence path for not allowing the act to be implemented in West Bengal? While the Home Minister Amit Shah had already made it clear that the amended Citizenship Act has nothing to do with the Indian citizens or Muslims. This bill grants citizenship to those who have already come to India after facing persecution in the three specified countries. 

Writer, historian, and activist Dharam Sikarwar is a very active author The Youth. He writes on national and international issues, environment, politics. He is an avid book reader as well.