'Shoot Them at Sight': Amid Citizenship Act Row, Junior Railway Minister's Diktat on Destruction of Public Property

New Delhi: Minister of State in the Railways Ministry Suresh Angadi has directed Railway authorities to shoot at sight "anybody who destroys public property".

"If anyone is destroying railway property, then I ask the chief minister of the particular state to initiate stringent action just as Sardar Vallabhai Patel had taken to merge Hyderabad with India," he said at Hubballi. When asked what he meant by stringent action, Angadi said, "Stringent action means shoot at sight..."

This was in response to questions by reporters who asked him about the steps taken to prevent damage to Railway property due to CAA related protests. Hyderabad merged with the Union of India after police

action under the leadership of India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which forced the Nizam and his army to surrender.

Angadi's statement comes a day after PM Modi expressed concern over the situation in Jamia Millia University, where police allegedly beat up several students following protests against the Citizenship Act. "Debate, discussion and dissent are essential parts of democracy but, never has damage to public property and disturbance of normal life been a part of our ethos," he had tweeted.

Home Minister Amit Shah said that action is being taken only against those engaging in vandalism and arson during the protests.

He also stressed that there was nothing "anti-minority" in the Citizenship Act.

Meanwhile, Congress president Sonia Gandhi hit out at the Centre saying that they are "shutting down" people's voices and bringing legislation that is not acceptable to them. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has remained critical of the legislation, leading several rallies against the Citizenship Act and the National Register of Citizens.

(With PTI inputs)