New Delhi: The Congress slammed the government on Tuesday after the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, with former party chief Rahul Gandhi saying the proposed legislation is an attack on the Constitution and anyone who supports it is attempting to destroy the foundation of the country.
In a tweet, he said: "Anyone who supports it is attacking and attempting to destroy the foundation of our nation."
In a stinging attack on the government, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted: "Our constitution, our citizenship, our dreams of a strong and unified India belong to ALL of us."
"We will fight against this government's agenda to systematically destroy our Constitution and undo the fundamental premise on which our country was built with all our might, she said.
"Last night at midnight, India's tryst with bigotry and narrow minded exclusion was confirmed as the CAB was passed in the Lok Sabha. Our forefathers gave their lifeblood for our freedom. In that freedom, is enshrined the right to equality, and the right to freedom of religion," Priyanka added.
Former Assam Chief Minister and Congress leader Tarun Gogoi slammed the Modi government for "ignoring people's sentiments and agitations. He said: "To ignore the wishes of the people is not a democracy." He also urged the government to drop the Bill immediately in the greater interest of the people of Assam.
"If the government is adamant, ignoring people's sentiments and agitations, then they [ruling ones] are dictators, not democrats. Democracy means it should listen to the voices of the people; it should not impose their will or try to convince people. Yes, you form the majority in Parliament, you can get it passed [Citizenship (Amendment) Bill]. But to ignore the wishes of the people is not a democracy," Tarun Gogoi added.
Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the bill was an anathema to India's constitutional democracy.
"It's an attack on soul of India. 72 years earlier, India was partitioned by the British, Savarkar's and Jinnah's sinister thought and approach. Descendants of the philosophy seek to partition our foundational values once again," he said in a tweet.
