Thread by @AIIndia

NEWS: A hateful, divisive and dehumanising rhetoric has been unleashed on students and those protesting against the equally divisive Citizenship (Amendment) Act by our elected representatives.

India is becoming a dangerous place for peaceful protest.

amnesty.org.in/news-update/in…

"While students and other citizens of India have largely ensured peaceful protests across the country against the #CAA, political leaders have resorted to making hateful statements about the protesters” - @Avinash_1_Kumar Executive Director of @AIIndia.

#ShaheenBagh has become the epicentre of the anti-CAA protests in the country, it has largely been led by Muslim women.

The Union Home Minister @AmitShah in a campaign rally asked the audience to “press the button with such anger that the current is felt at Shaheen Bagh”.

On 27 January, referring to the protesters at Shaheen Bagh, the Union Minister of State for Finance, @ianuragthakur encouraged the crowd to chant ‘Desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalo ko (shoot the traitors of the nation)’.

#CAAProtests

On 30 January, the anniversary of #MahatmaGandhi’s assassination, a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student before walking away while waving the firearm and shouting “Yeh lo Aazadi” (Here, take your freedom).

The #CAA is a bigoted and divisive act. The CAA along with the National Population Register (NPR), NRC and the Foreigners Tribunal can lead to scores of citizens being declared stateless across India. These are genuine concerns and the people have the right to peacefully protest.

📢📢📢The nation of the Republic of India was built on the foundation of peaceful protest. Without dissent and resistance, there would have been no India to speak of.

ACT NOW to defend right to peaceful protest and dissent: bit.ly/ProtectDissent