Centre Trying to 'bail Out' Davinder Singh: Digvijaya

Bhubaneswar, Jan 17 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre was trying to "bail out" DSP Davinder Singh who was arrested with three militants in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Davinder Singh has terrorist links but to get him released, the government has handed over the investigation to NIA headed by YC Modi, who had bailed out Amit Shah in Gujarat," Digvijaya Singh said here.

"Davinder Singh has a mysterious role in the 2002 Parliament attack. Afzal Guru had also indicated in this regard. Singh is also suspected to have a role in the Pulwama attack. Therefore, Davinder Singh's terrorist links should be probed impartially and not by YC Modi," the senior Congress leader said.

He said the nationwide unrest is likely to continue till the Centre revokes the Citizenship Amendment Act and promises not to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the country.

"The Centre has brought the CAA just to divert the attention of the nation from the growing unrest over price rise, soaring inflation, growing unemployment and economic slump," he said.

Observing that there was no need to amend the Citizenship Act, Singh said earlier there was no problem in giving citizenship to anyone.

"By amending the Act, the government wanted to give a message that all people except Muslims are acceptable for getting citizenship," Singh said.

The Congress leader said that "CAA was not in line with India's policy of unity in diversity" and appealed to the Supreme Court to declare the Act "unconstitutional".

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said NRC is also not acceptable in the country because of its lengthy procedure and huge expenditure.

"In Assam, it took 11 years to prepare the NRC at an expenditure of Rs 1,600 crore. Think of the entire nation. How much time and money it will require for NRC in the entire country," he said.

The veteran Congress leader said 19.5 lakh people in Assam were identified as ineligible for citizenship, of which 12.5 lakh were Hindus and remaining seven lakh Muslims.

"We are of the opinion that the nationwide unrest will continue till the CAA is withdrawn and the Centre announces that NRC will not be implemented in the country," he said.

Lashing out at the Centre over Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said, "When foreign parliamentary delegations are allowed to visit Kashmir, Indian MPs including Rahul Gandhi are denied entry into the valley. Now, the Centre is sending its ministers to Kashmir. This is unfair."

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