Country doesn't need Citizenship Act, says Swara Bhasker

Mumbai: Along with thousands of protestors gathered at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan, Actor Swara Bhasker on Thursday took part in a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act and questioned the requirement of such law in the country.

"There is no need for CAA or NRC in this country. You have the process of granting citizenship to refugees and If you can grant citizenship to Adnan Sami on that basis then why can't you grant citizenship to Hindu refugees on the basis of that same process? Why do you have to change the constitution," Bhasker told ANI.

Condemning the new Citizenship Act, the actor said that it is only giving rise to fear among people of different communities. "The problem will not only be faced by the Muslim community but by every underprivileged and other people of this country," Bhasker told ANI.

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, the actor said that the opposition which the government is facing is only ideological. "There is a difference between opposing and abusing. This is ideological opposition, Gandhi Ji also did ideological opposition. We are raising slogans of ideological opposition. This is part of the democratic opposition, there is no problem in such protests," the actor said.

She further supported the demonstrations against CAA and said that these demonstrations are not against democracy but are strengthening the values of democracy. "These demonstrations are for the unity between Hindus, Muslims and other communities in the country. Don't colour these demonstrations in one colour of 'opposition'," the actor told reporters.

People in large numbers gathered in Mumbai on Wednesday to protest against the amended Citizenship Act. Actor Farhan Akhtar also joined the protest besides Bhaskar. The CAA grants citizenship to non-Muslims of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who fled religious persecution and arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.