Union Home Minister Amit Shah challenged opposition leaders for a debate on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on any public platform, stating categorically that the new citizenship law would not be rolled back.
Addressing a pro-CAA rally in Lucknow on Tuesday, Shah said: “Mein danke ki chot par kehta hoon ki CAA wapas nahi hoga. Modiji CAA lekar aaye, aur CAA ke khilaf, yeh Rahul Baba and company, Mamata, Akhileshji, Behen Mayawati, saari ki saari brigade kau-kau-kau karne lage.” (I declare that the CAA will never be rolled back. When Modiji brought CAA, Rahul and company, Mamata, Akhilesh, Mayawati, the entire brigade started making noise without ascertaining facts).
“I piloted the Citizenship Bill in Parliament. I challenge anyone who wants to debate with me on the CAA but this law will not be withdrawn at any cost,” Shah said.
The Home Minister added: “Narendra Modi was voted back to office only eight months back. There is no reason for us to go to the people again as there is no election round the corner. We were forced to launch the awareness campaign to counter the malicious campaign by opposition parties over CAA aimed at breaking India.”
“The opposition parties are trying to confuse Muslims in the name of CAA even when the new act is only to provide citizenship and not divest them of it,’’ Shah said.
Referring to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shah said: “He is only making statements by readings others, and has no independent understanding of the issue. He should first study and then speak.”
Speaking on Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Shah said: “The TMC leader raised the issue of giving citizenship to Dalit Hindu refugees from Bangladesh staying in West Bengal. But now she is opposing it just for political reasons.”
“During Rajasthan Assembly polls, Congress had also stressed on providing citizenship to only Hindu refugees from Pakistan, but now they are opposing it,” he said.
“Congress was responsible for country’s partition on religion lines in 1947. Now when we are trying to rectify their mistakes, they are opposing it. Even Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had said that minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh should be given Indian citizenship. But now, this party is opposing the CAA which is unfortunate and it shows their double standard,” Shah said.
Listing the series of Congress, TMC and other opposition leaders’ statements, Shah exclaimed: “How come Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Rahul Gandhi speak the same language and idioms about Kashmir and the CAA.’’
“Opposition leaders are questioning us on the abrogation of Article 370 from Kashmir which gives equal rights to people. These leaders never feel anything about Kashmiri Pandits who are now refugees in their own country. They never uttered a word when Taliban destroyed ancient Buddha statue at Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan,” he alleged.
“I want to ask people protesting the CAA as to where are minorities disappearing in Pakistan? Why the population of minorities dwindled to three per cent now from 25 per cent in 1947. Thousands of Hindus and Sikhs were kidnapped, converted and so many women were raped. Hundreds of temples and gurudwaras were destroyed, who will help the persecuted minorities?,” Shah asked.
Targeting Congress and other parties for supporting “anti-national” slogans in JNU and other institutions, Shah asserted: “We will not tolerate this. We are ready to be abused but will not spare anyone who insults Bharat Mata.”
On the occasion, Shah asked people to dial a pro-CAA toll free number 8866288662 to support the act.
