Prominent Telangana Personalities Protest CAA

Several writers, academics, journalists and public intellectuals strongly protested the recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) claiming it sought to alter the secular character of India and violated the spirit of the Constitution.

They demanded that the Act be repealed immediately.

In a statement on Tuesday, they said, "The Act violates the secular and inclusive vision of the leaders of our freedom movement and the founding fathers of our constitution. It violates its basic structure, and granting of citizenship on the basis of religion, particularly excluding Muslims, is divisive, discriminatory and unconstitutional."

Those who signed the statement included:

Prof Katyayani Vidmahe
Literary critic Devipriya, poet and Sahitya Academy Awardee
K Siva Reddy, Saraswati Samman Awardee
K Srinivasa Reddy, President of the Indian Journalists Union
Prof Majid, Bedar, Vice-President, Progressive Writers Association, Urdu
Prof S V Satyanarayana, former Vice-Chancellor, Telugu University
Prof Rachapalem Chandrasekhar Reddy, President, Progressive Writers Association, AP
Prof N Gopi, poet and former Vice-Chancellor, Telugu University
Dr Stalin, surgeon
Prof Chandu Subbarao, geophysicist and writer
Prof K S Chalam, former member of the Union Public Service Commission

The signatories also appealed to writers, academics and public intellectuals to join the nationwide protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Makhdoom Mohiuddin Statue on Tank Bund at 10:30 am on 19 December to make their voice heard and help safeguard the secular and democratic ethos of India.

They also strongly condemned the police action on the students of Jamia Millia, Aligarh Muslim University and other campuses protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act, but also called upon the students to eschew violence and protest peacefully.