UP BJP’s pro-CAA drive enters second phase

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, January 29

The BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit has launched the second phase of its campaign supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) with the elected representatives of the Parliament and the Vidhan Sabha expected to take the lead in their respective constituencies. The drive will last until February 10. During the first phase in December, top party leaders had addressed a series of Jan Jagran Abhiyan rallies across the state.

Among others, Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a rally in Lucknow while BJP president JP Nadda addressed one in Agra.

Speaking to reporters, BJP state president Swatantra Dev Singh said, “We have asked party MPs to focus on organising meetings of small groups across the state. The party is also planning meetings, seminars and ‘chai pe charcha’ to mobilise support for the CAA.”

The BJP has asked all its MPs and MLAs from the state to go ahead and organize pro-CAA campaigns in their respective areas to counter the anti-CAA protests.

The BJP has also developed booklets and handbills targeting the Muslim-dominated localities to create awareness on the CAA. The booklets and handbills reiterate the BJP’s official line that the CAA is meant to grant citizenship to minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and not to deprive Muslims living in India of their citizenship.

The booklet, titled Kamal Jyoti Pustika, is being widely distributed in cities of western Uttar Pradesh that recently witnessed violence.

State BJP general secretary and campaign in- charge Govind Narain Shukla said meetings of party workers are being organised across state. He said leaders were meeting people to explain the objectives and the perceived benefits of the CAA to the people.

BJP has also decided to rope in its IT cell to ensure that the message reaches maximum number of people.

After this, the party would hold a series of ‘Samvad Karyakram’- interaction with people, mainly Muslims, for which BJP leaders would spread out to urban as well as rural areas.