In a significant move ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party has pledged to repeal the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) if voted to power. The announcement has sparked a fierce political battle between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress.
The announcement was made by senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, who asserted that the CAA would be scrapped along with three other laws. Chidambaram’s statement came amidst mounting criticism from various quarters, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The BJP, led by Home Minister Amit Shah, swiftly responded to Chidambaram’s declaration. Shah lambasted the Congress leader’s anti-CAA stance, emphasizing that neither would the Congress return to power nor would the CAA be revoked. He described the BJP as a force dedicated to upholding the law.
The political tug-of-war intensified further as Chidambaram accused the BJP of no longer being a political party but a cult worshiping Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He reiterated the Congress’s commitment to repealing the CAA, branding it as one of the top priorities if the party comes to power.
The exchange of barbs didn’t stop there. Chidambaram’s promise of a ‘special law’ if the Congress were voted to power was met with sharp criticism from BJP quarters, with accusations that the Congress was hell-bent on harming Hindus.
The Congress’s stance on the CAA has also led to internal debates within the party, particularly in states like Kerala, where the party’s silence on the contentious issue has raised eyebrows. However, the party seems determined to address these concerns, with promises to repeal the law if it forms the government.
Political analysts believe that the issue of the CAA could become a focal point in the upcoming elections, with parties taking firm stands either in favor or against the controversial legislation.
Chidambaram’s assertion that the CAA would be repealed in the first session of Parliament if the Congress-led ‘INDIA Bloc’ comes to power has added another layer to the election discourse. The ‘INDIA Bloc’ aims to nullify the CAA and has made it a central plank of its election campaign.
As the political temperature rises, both the BJP and the Congress are gearing up for what promises to be a fiercely contested election, with the fate of the CAA hanging in the balance
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