Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home, G. Kishan Reddy has launched a drive to persuade Muslims in Hyderabad that there is nothing dangerous for them in the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019. The old city of Hyderabad has been rocked by protests by the Muslim community against the CAA over the last few days.
According to sources close to Kishan Reddy, the minister has divided the protesters into two groups—Muslims genuinely afraid of consequences of the CAA due to falsehoods spread by vested interests; and motivated groups of students and others who want to utilise the opportunity to corner the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government through violent demonstrations.
An official from the office of the MoS told this newspaper on Saturday: “The minister (Reddy) and the Centre are ready to address the concerns of the first category, where semi-informed Muslims are being misguided by others to oppose the CAA, but not the objections raised by the so-called secular liberals who turned public universities into their battleground.”
Kishan Reddy has been giving interviews to every media outfit in the city and is appealing for peace and calm. “I make it clear that there is nothing bad for any Indian in this law. We will not disturb any Indian family whether they are Hindus or Muslims and force them to prove their nationality,” said Reddy in a media release.
On Friday, most major mosques in Hyderabad witnessed tempered speeches by religious leaders who voiced concerns over fallout of the CAA and termed the piece of law as a weapon to drive out Muslims from the country, according to reports from the state and Central intelligence cops. The Centre is monitoring the situation in Muslim dominated areas and trying to dispel their doubts over CAA.
For example, a Muslim devotee at a mosque in the Old City of Hyderabad screamed whether he needed to prove Indian nationality of his forefathers too. “Instead of clarifying his doubts, the elders at the place of worship simply allowed him to go on, triggering fear among others from the community,” pointed out the staff of the MoS. Kishan Reddy stepped in to clear such doubts. “Rules are yet to be framed and a notification on CAA implementation is yet to be issued; so there is no urgency to scramble for documents to prove anyone’s nationality or identity. Moreover, CAA is just meant to grant citizenship on a speedy basis for six minority communities from three specific neighbours. That’s all,” clarified Kisha Reddy, who represents the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat.
A few Muslim outfits, including the All Indian Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and United Muslim Action Committee are spearheading the protests in Hyderabad. However, some student bodies are mobilising demonstrations in the Maulana Azad National Urdu University and at the University of Hyderabad, a Central varsity.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has suggested to the states to see that the unrest, which is being spread in a systematic manner in the public universities, is dealt with sternly, while the protests in civil areas can be handled carefully, with minimal force. Even the state intelligence cops have gathered inputs that certain outfits are deliberately creating panic among Muslims on CAA.
One of the rumours spread in the Old City of Hyderabad is that soon the cops would visit every household and call for documents like passport to establishment their nationality. Those who fail to produce the documents would be sent out of their homes or disenfranchised, is the gist of the rumours. Kishan Reddy is on the job of establishing communication with these misguided sections, said sources.