VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan on Saturday alleged that the BJP government at the Centre was attempting to weaken the Constitution and dilute the provisions guaranteeing equality for all, irrespective of religion, caste and creed.

Addressing a mammoth ‘Save the Nation’ rally organised by the party in Tiruchi, Mr. Thirumavalavan alleged that the BJP, which made a failed attempt to redraft the Constitution when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, was now making serious attempts to change the character of the Constitution. It was with the objective of destroying the basic tenets of the Constitution that the BJP-led Centre had brought in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Mr. Thirumavalavan alleged.

The CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register had created a sense of insecurity among minorities, especially Muslims, he said.

Terming the CAA draconian, Mr. Thirumavalavan said the minorities, “hurt by the insensitive law”, had been protesting against the Centre across the country through peaceful means. If the BJP believed in democracy, it would have listened to the genuine demand for repealing the Act. On the contrary, the government had toughened its stand, the VCK chief said. “Several State governments and representatives of most of the political parties, public fora and organisations are up in arms against CAA. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said there is no going back on CAA. It shows that he has scant regard for democracy and the Constitution,” he said.

Religious discrimination

“The discrimination of refugees based on religion is against the fundamental tenets of the Constitution. It is unacceptable to the country’s secular fabric and credentials,” the VCK leader said. He warned that NPR would raise a question mark over the citizenship status of those who fail to furnish the required documents.

Coming down heavily on the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, he alleged that it had not bothered to respect the sentiments of minorities and Opposition political parties with regard to CAA-NPR-NRC. Several parties which had voted in favour of CAA in Parliament had subsequently passed resolutions against the law in their respective Assemblies. But the AIADMK government, which was blindly following the diktats of the Centre, had refused to adopt a resolution against CAA in the Assembly, and would pay a heavy price for it, he said.