Karnataka

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya says opposers of CAA are 'puncturewallas', faces backlash

Many pointed out that he referred to poor Dalits and Muslims who are forced into running these shops due to lack of opportunities to pursue other means of earning their livelihood.

Written by : TNM Staff

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya is facing criticism for remarks he made during a pro-CAA rallyon Sunday. He referred to the opposers of the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act as ‘puncture wallas’ in a demeaning way. He said, “People of Bengaluru’s IT sector, BT sector, those contributing to the nation’s economy like lawyers, bank employees, ordinary citizens including auto-rickshaw drivers have gathered here today. Only the uneducated, illiterate puncture shop wallahs are against it.”

Many pointed out that he referred to poor Dalits and Muslims who are forced into running these shops due to lack of opportunities to pursue other means of earning their livelihood.

He used these deregulatory references as he was addressing a pro-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) rally in Bengaluru’s Town Hall by calling all those who oppose the law as “illiterates”.He also said all the criticism to the law was due to “products of half-understanding”

“If you split open their chests, you cannot find even four words. These are the people protesting against the CAA,” Tejasvi was quoted by the Deccan Chronicle. 

Tejasvi said that “namby-pamby” secularism would not work any more in this country. 

Deccan Herald also quoted him as saying, “This is a new India that we are creating. This is an India which will have a $5 trillion economy. The namby-pamby secularism that you people have built so far will not work anymore.”

Reacting to this, Indian Youth Congress leader and Campaigner-in-charge Srivatsa called him a “crass elitist” and asked whether poor people do not have the right to protest or not.

Many have pointed out depsite the unparliamentary references made by Tejasvi, how his statements go against Prime Minister Narendram Modi’s statements of identifying himself as a “chaiwallah”.
 

Other notable speakers who spoke at the event were Chakravarthy Sulibele of Yuva Brigade member of the BJP.

He went on to say that BR Ambedkar, one of the prime architects of the Constitution had suggested that Muslims to leave India and settle in Pakistan following the partition.

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