History will remember CAA as a black law: former Congress leader Urmila Matondkar

Actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar has expressed her opposition to the newly amended Citizenship Act comparing the same with the infamous Rowlatt Act of the British rule. 

The protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) are ongoing across India. Amid this, Matondkar said that CAA is a black law like the Rowlatt Act which was passed by the Britishers. 

“In Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, women have been protesting against the law for more than 45 days now. They are demanding the government to withdraw this law,” Urmila Matondkar said while speaking at an anti-CAA protest. 

The protest was organised on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary at Gandhi Bhavan memorial in Pune. 

While addressing the gathering, Matondkar said that the one who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi was a Hindu and did not belong to any other religion. 

“Mahatma Gandhi was a true follower of Hinduism and the person who shot him dead was also a Hindu. Mahatma Gandhi was not killed by a Muslim, Christian or Sikh,” Matondkar said. 

Alleging that CAA was against the poor, Urmila Matondkar said that the Britishers brought Rowlett Act in the year 1919 after they saw widespread discontent across India. 

“History will remember both the Rowlatt Act as well as the CAA as black laws. It is challenging out Bharatiyatva (Indianness),” said Urmila Matondkar.

Urmila Matondkar contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North Parliamentary constituency on Congress ticket. She, however, was defeated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Gopal Shetty.

 Before the Lok Sabha elections which were held last year, Mumbai Congress was split into two factions. This was a result of conflict between senior Congress leaders Sanjay Nirupam and Milind Deora.

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However, Urmila Matondkar left Congress citing the in-fighting in party’s Mumbai unit. Matondkar stated that during the LS polls she was not supported by party’s North Mumbai unit.