Samajwadi Party promises pension for anti-CAA protesters

LUCKNOW: Senior Samajwadi Party leader and leader of opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Ram Govind Chaudhary, has announced that when the Samajwadi Party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, it would give pensions to all those who protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

He further said that the Samajwadi government would give compensation to those killed and jailed in the anti-CAA protests.

"This promise will be fulfilled on the day Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav takes oath as chief minister. All cases related to protest against CAA, NPR and NRC would also be withdrawn without delay," he said.

The Samajwadi Party, he said, will not question anyone's citizenship.

Chaudhary said the party's ''satyagraha'' against these laws will continue till the time the BJP decides to withdraw it.

The Samajwadi Party leader also slammed the Modi government for its privatization policy.

"All public sector units are being privatized and money is being withdrawn from banks, even the RBI. Instead of giving employment, the government is taking away job opportunities. Farmers are committing suicide and inflation is at an all-time high. The government is trying to divert attention from basic issues by bringing in CAA, NPR and NRC," he said.

Chaudhary further said that whenever opposition parties try to raise these issues, they are asked to go to Pakistan.

It is noteworthy that it was the Mulayam Singh Yadav government that had introduced the Loktantra Senani pension for those who had been jailed during Emergency.