Kejriwal says CAA and NRC are anti-poor, not a Hindu-Muslim issue

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday defended students after the police action at Jamia Millia Islamia and spoke at length against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) would hurt the poor more than anyone. His comments came three days after the Jamia incident set off protests across the country.

Defence of students

Kejriwal said it was not possible that students had set buses on fire, pointed to vested interests behind the violence and sought an inquiry and strict action against those responsible. He noted that students at thirty-three universities had joined the protests.

Argument against the law

It was the first time since the law was enacted that Kejriwal, whose Aam Aadmi Party opposed it in Parliament, spoke against it in detail. He called it a “very dirty law” and urged the Centre to withdraw it and instead convene a meeting of chief ministers on jobs, prices, the economic slowdown and factory closures.

Seeking to move the debate away from Hindu-Muslim lines, he compared the likely effect of an NRC with demonetisation, which he said had hurt the poor. Citing a remark by Amit Shah on television that people without documents would be expelled regardless of religion, Kejriwal said 70% of Indians lacked documents, while the rich could pay to get theirs made. He argued that the government wanted to give papers and citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from neighbouring countries while asking its own citizens to prove theirs.

He also said there were nearly three crore non-Muslims in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and asked who would provide jobs and housing if even half of them came to India when young Indians were already struggling to find work. Pointing to onion prices of Rs 200, rising potato prices and the slowdown, he questioned why the CAA had been made a priority.

On education

Recalling his time at IIT from 1985 to 1989, Kejriwal wondered whether he could have afforded to study there without monthly fees of Rs 32 and scholarships. Backing JNU students protesting against a fee increase, he said: “I want to tell all governments that education budgets should not be slashed.”

Originally published on 19 December 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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