Regarding some Muslim leaders from Madhya Pradesh quitting the BJP protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday said his party has not put up a board of no exit or no entry.
He said those who have misunderstandings about CAA should think with an open mind and get their misconceptions cleared as the new law is not a threat to any Indian citizen.
Talking to reporters here, Naqvi assured Indian Muslims that their citizenship was "100 per cent protected".
Asked about Muslim leaders from the Congress-ruled Madhya Pradesh quitting the BJP in protest against the CAA, Naqvi said, "The BJP is a big political party. The BJP has neither put up a board of 'no exit' nor of 'no entry'. People come to the BJP and those who don't want to stay in the party go away."
To another question, the Union minister denied that the BJP failed to convince its Muslim leaders that the CAA was in the country's interest.
"We appeal to those having misunderstanding about CAA to think with an open mind and clear their misconceptions. They should also think why a 'bogus bashing brigade' was spreading fake information about CAA to create an atmosphere of fear and confusion in a particular community," he said.
Notably, BJP's lone Muslim corporator Usman Patel in the saffron party-ruled Indore Municipal Corporation on Saturday announced his resignation from the "changed" BJP, which he said was indulging in "politics of hate" over CAA.
In a letter to the district BJP unit, Patel said he was resigning from all posts in the party with which he was associated for last 40 years. Naqvi said the new law was not a threat to any Indian citizen.
Responding to Rahul Gandhi's 'danda' jibe against Prime Minister Modi, Naqvi further added that a person with "normal state of mind" would never make such a statement.
"I want to give advice to Sonia Gandhi Ji to send Rahul Gandhi to a political playschool where he can learn A, B, C, D of politics and the decorum and dignity as well so that he doesn't use such a language. A person with a normal state of mind won't make such a statement," said Naqvi.
The Union Minister further reacted on the current issue of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) said that a "bogus bashing brigade" is trying to create an atmosphere of fear among the people.
"The bogus-bashing brigade is creating an atmosphere of fear regarding this issue. They are creating a fake and fabricated environment. PM Modi has repeatedly asserted that the citizenship of any Indian won't be taken away from them. CAA law has been formed and it won't be taken back," said Naqvi.