Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Syed Sadatullah Hussaini

New Delhi, 25 Dec.2019: The President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Syed Sadatullah Hussaini has written a letter to the Chief Ministers of India urging them not to implement the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) and stop the process of National Population Register (NPR) until the Centre assures the nation that it is rolling back the NRC and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The letter addressed to the CMs and later released to the media, says: “Chief Ministers of several states as Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa have voiced their opposition to the Centre for implementing the proposed NRC. You are the chief representative of the people of your state – the safety, security and fundamental rights of which you are duty-bound to uphold. We therefore urge you to disallow the implementation of the proposed NRC in your state. As “law and order” is a state subject, you are quite within your constitutional rights to ensure the non-implementation of NRC. We also urge you to stop the process of the National Population Register (NPR) until the Centre assures the nation that it will not implement NRC and shall roll back CAA.”

The letter begins by talking about the background of CAA and NRC – “The recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is all set to give citizenship to six religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan except Muslims. The CAA has sparked agitations and peaceful protests across the country, with all sections of society irrespective of caste and creed demanding the law be repealed at the earliest. Many students, protestors and bystanders have been injured and killed by police firing. CAA is divisive and offers citizenship based on religion violating our Constitution. The CAA has to be seen along with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). They should not be seen in isolation. Their combination creates a situation in which Muslims of India will be stripped of their citizenship and sent to detention centers as has been played out in the state of Assam. That is because, except Muslims, all those who cannot prove their citizenship in the NRC exercise shall be accommodated via the CAA route. This may lead to a potential human rights disaster that can have horrendous consequences.”

Syed Sadatullah also reminded the CMs of the importance of their decision by saying: “The Jamaat is mobilizing the peace and justice-loving citizens and submitting memorandums to various ministries and district collectors against CAA and NRC. We hope you respond to our request of disallowing NRC, which is nothing but a manifestation of the voice of the people of our nation and your state. Your decision will be crucial to uphold the idea of India as a constitutional, secular and plural democracy. We are confident that you will not disappoint the people of your state.”

Issued by:

Media Department,

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind