Modi lashes out at ‘vandals’ for anti-CAA violence in UP

New Delhi/Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed those who damaged public property during the recent protests in Uttar Pradesh against the amended citizenship law, saying they should understand that rights and duties go hand in hand. BSP supremo Mayawati, meanwhile, asked the UP government to conduct a thorough probe into the deaths during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests and help the innocent victims.

Mr Modi was addressing a gathering after unveiling a statue of Atal Behari Vajpayee at Lucknow’s Lok Bhavan on the former PM’s birth anniversary. He also laid the foundation stone for the Atal Behari Vajpayee Medical University in the Uttar Pradesh capital.

“They (vandals) should ask themselves — was it right? Whatever was torched, was it not for their child’s use? What has happened to those people and policemen who got injured?” Mr Modi asked, adding that he wanted to tell those who damaged public property “not to forget that rights and duties go hand in hand”.

Over 15 people were killed, 263 police personnel injured and state-owned property damaged in violence during the protests against the CAA in several UP districts. Referring to the abrogation of Article 370, the PM said it was an “old disease” and it was resolved peacefully. “How old a disease was Article 370. How difficult it appeared. But it was our responsibility as to how to face such difficult challenges. And it was done easily. ‘Sabki dhaarna ye choor choor ho gaya’ (everyone’s perception was smashed).”

Mr Modi pointed out that the Ram Janmabhoomi issue was also resolved peacefully. On CAA, Mr Modi said that giving citizenship to those who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to “save the dignity of their daughters” was another problem whose solution was found by 130 crore Indians. “With this self-confidence, Hindustanis are entering a new decade. Whatever is left to be done, all Indians are trying to find a solution,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee at his newly unveiled statue at Lok Bhavan in Lucknow on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

The PM said the roadmap to better healthcare was based on four points — preventive healthcare, affordable healthcare, supply-side intervention and mission-mode intervention. He also highlighted the schemes of his government in this direction. On the medical university, Mr Modi said it would provide affiliation to government, semi-government and private colleges, and help improve the quality of medical education in Uttar Pradesh.

BSP supremo Mayawati has asked the state government to conduct a thorough probe into the deaths during the anti-citizenship law protests and help innocent victims. “The maximum number of deaths during the CAA/NRC protests were in UP. The state government should hold a probe into these deaths accurately and come forward to help the (families of) innocent ones,” Ms Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

Ms Mayawati had on Tuesday said the Centre should allay the concerns of Muslims over the CAA and the proposed countrywide National Register of Citizens. “It will be better if the Centre allays all apprehensions of Muslims on CAA/NRC to their satisfaction,” she said.