Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the violence in Uttar Pradesh caused due to the protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act on December 25.
While addressing a crowd on the eve of laying the foundation stone of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University in Lucknow he urged the protesters who were involved in violence should “introspect” about what they did was right or wrong.
“I want to ask people who resorted to violence in Uttar Pradesh to sit at home and ask themselves whether what they did is good or not,” the PM said. In his speech, he pointed out that the protesters had destroyed buses and public property that belonged to their children.
PM Modi said that everybody in the country has the right to a safe environment, but also have a duty to respect the law and order machinery. He also praised the Uttar Pradesh police for restoring the law and order situation in the state.
“Issues of Article 370 and Ram Temple have been resolved peacefully. The way to give citizenship to refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan has been cleared. One hundred and thirty crore Indians have found a solution to such challenges with confidence,” he added.
As of now, 18 people have died in the Uttar Pradesh, after the protest against CAA turned violent with protesters hurling stones at police and burning vehicles. In retaliation, the police also had to resort to lathi-charge and in some cases firearms.
The Yogi Adityanath led state government has already started seizing the property of those protesters involved in the violence to compensate the property loss. The CM earlier had said the state government will take “revenge” on the protesters.
The Logical Indian Take
The PM’s statement has come at a time when verified videos of both police and mob engaging in violence have surfaced. However, the PM only blamed the protestors for the damage to public property. It would have been much appreciated if the PM would have criticised the police in the same breath for the destruction.
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