In an attempt to dispel the canard being spread about Citizen (Amendment) Act, the Uttar Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party held a workshop in which talking points were given to the party leaders to make people aware of the virtues of the citizenship legislation.

BJP national general secretary Anil Jain said that this CAA was meant for the minorities of the Muslim-dominated neighbouring countries where Hindus, Buddhists and Christians were being persecuted in the name of religion. “This Act allows citizenship right for these people,” he said.

“The basis of partition of India was religion. The Muslim League had asked for such partition. Why the then Congress did not raise objections? People suffered at that time. They were persecuted because they belonged to a minority religion. This Act is for them and to safeguard their rights,” Jain said here on Sunday.

He said that the number of minorities was going down very sharply in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. “In 1947, the minorities in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) comprised 22 per cent of the population which came down to 7.8 per cent in 2011. Similarly, in Pakistan, the population of minorities came down from 23 per cent in 1947 to 3.2 per cent in 2011 whereas in India Muslims comprised 9.8 per cent of population in 1951 and the number increased to 14.23 per cent in 2011,” he pointed out.

“In India, many minority intellectuals rose to top posts while the same right was deprived to minorities in the neighbouring countries,” the BJP leader said.

Jain said the Narendra Modi government had taken care of tribal rights of North-East and therefore the provisions of the CAA would not be applicable on the tribals of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura because these states were governed by Inner Line Permit.

BJP national spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi said the CAA was meant to give citizenship right but not to deprive one of citizen rights. “Therefore, people of India should not be afraid of this Act,” he said.

“Today, the Congress is opposing this Act whereas on April 30, 2012, the then Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, had written a letter to then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to give citizenship rights to Hindus, Buddhists and Christians from Bangladesh who wanted to reside in India,” he said.