In the context of the farmers' protest and the stir over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Monday alleged that the country is today facing a state of "undeclared emergency."
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Moitra said, "The coward is brave, only when he is armed with power and authority. You (Central Government) are not courageous but a coward. The farm laws were tabled without scrutiny. From farmers and students to old ladies of Shaheen Shaheen Bagh, all are called terrorists. India is today facing an undeclared emergency."
Slamming the Centre over he CAA, she said, "The Citizenship Amendment Act was passed in 2019 in this House on the pretext of granting citizenship to persecuted Hindus and other minorities in neighbouring countries."
"At the same time, it threw into abusive insecurity millions of Indians who had been living in this land for generations. But the rules by which this act will be implemented were not yet prepared by December 2020, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs," said Moitra
The TMC MP questioned the Central Government over the delay in the framework for implementation of CAA. "The deadline has yet again been extended till April 2021. If indeed this govt cared so much for those persecuted in the neighbouring countries, why does it miss the deadline to notify these rules?" she said.
She criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central Government for allegedly slapping sedition charges against journalists and condemned the Ministry of External Affairs' response in apparent reference to the tweets of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and American pop singer Rihanna.
Moitra accused the Central Government of exploiting Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's legacy for political mileage.
"The central government has tried in every way to hijack Netaji's legacy and weave it into its own narrow narrative of courage," said Moitra.
BJP and TMC have locked horns as the Assembly elections in West Bengal are slated to take place this year.
( With inputs from ANI )
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