Says Muslims have nothing to fear, no talks in Govt over nationwide NRC; Cong, Urban Naxals spreading rumours; Didi changed stand
Amid raging protests across the country over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and spectre of National Register of Citizens (NRC) looming large, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured the Indian Muslims they have nothing to worry about the Citizenship legislation and said there was no discussion on the NRC within his Government.
Addressing a rally at Ramlila Maidan, the Prime Minister said the amended citizenship law and the NRC have nothing to do with Indian citizens and slammed his political rivals for “inciting” people and trying to divide the country in their bid to target him.
He said, “Aisa nahi chalega, na mai chalne dunga” (This can’t go on. Neither will I let it continue),” the huge crowd broke into applause.
Pointing out that the NRC was implemented in Assam on the orders of the Supreme Court and the idea came up during the time of the Congress, Modi said, “We did not make it, nor has it been taken up by the Cabinet or Parliament, nor have any rules been framed. Indian
Muslims have no reason to fear CAA and NRC.”
The PM said the CAA will not affect any Indian citizen and blamed the Congress for launching a “concerted misinformation campaign”.
Modi put up a strong defence of the contentious CAA and emphasised that it was enacted for providing equal rights to persecuted minorities from neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan it does not take away anybody’s rights.
He also targeted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Left over their protests against the CAA. “India had an opportunity to expose Pakistan over its discrimination against minorities but it was lost due to their politics,” he said.
Modi devoted a considerable part of his nearly 100-minute speech, which he started with the slogan of ‘vividhta me ekta, Bharat ki visheshta’ (Unity in diversity is India’s speciality), to allay concerns of Muslims and said they should look at his “track record” and not listen to “tape record” of his rivals.
He cited his development schemes like giving LPG cylinders to the poor and health insurance scheme to assert that it has never mattered to his Government whether people go to temple or mosque.
“The citizenship law or the NRC has nothing to do with Indian Muslims. They have nothing to worry,” he said, accusing the Congress, its allies and “Urban Naxals” of spreading the rumour that Muslims will be sent to detention centres. The Citizenship law, he added, has in fact nothing to do with Indian citizens.
In a clear justification of having a nationwide National Register of Citizens, he said infiltrators never “reveal” themselves unlike refugees who never “hide” their identities.
He dared his rivals to find anything discriminatory in his work and alleged that they have resorted to dividing the country through their “vote bank politics, lies and rumours” after being unable to challenge him politically.
Speaking strongly against violence during the recent protests against CAA, he attacked the Opposition for not making any appeal for peace and said their “silence” showed their indirect support to vandalism targeting school buses and trains.
Praising police forces, which have faced criticism from some quarters for allegedly using excessive force against students and protesters in a few places, the Prime Minister said they have always come to people’s help and noted that over 33,000 of them have sacrificed their lives in duty since independence. Several protesters in States like Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam have died in alleged police firing.
Modi asked his rivals to burn his effigy and thrash it with shoes if they wish so, but they should not target assets and properties of others.
He quoted comments of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in support of giving citizenship rights to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries to assert that the BJP-led NDA Government has done what was promised by the Opposition party when it was in power, but was never done due to vote bank politics.
He made a reference to a speech of Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee, who is also West Bengal Chief Minister, in Parliament against infiltration into the State and attacked her for “changing” her stand due to “vote bank politics”.
“These leaders changed their stand and all their love and sympathy for these refugees vanished,” he said.
Modi also spoke about the “support” he had received from Muslim countries and the highest civilian honour bestowed on him by many of them to assert that it has “scared” the Congress and its friends.
“They are worried if Muslims across the world support me so much, then how long they can frighten Indian Muslims (against me),” he said, while accusing his rivals of running a campaign against him.
Modi said everything is being done to remove him by his rivals, adding that efforts have been made for over 20 years to target him but these never succeeded.
The Prime Minister devoted considerable time in hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during his 90-minute-long speech. He took TMC chief over her strident Opposition to the amended Citizenship law and the proposed nationwide NRC, accusing her of changing her earlier stand on infiltrators due to “vote-bank” politics.
“Mamata Banerjee used to plead in Parliament to stop Bangladeshi infiltrators from coming to West Bengal and seek help for persecuted refugees from the neighbouring country, but she had changed her stand now due to political reasons,” Modi said.
“Mamata Didi reached the UN (United Nations) from Kolkata. A few years ago, she used to plead in Parliament to stop Bangladeshi infiltrators and help the persecuted refugees from there,” he said.
Challenging the Modi Government to go for a UN-monitored referendum over the amended Citizenship Act and the proposed nationwide NRC, Mamata had recently said the BJP would have to quit if it failed such a “mass vote”.
However, later the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief did a U-turn over a UN referendum on the CAA and nationwide NRC, saying she had only suggested that an opinion poll be conducted by impartial experts of the country, the process of which could be observed by the UN.
Modi accused Mamata of “spreading rumours” and being “scared”, keeping in mind the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.
“Didi, what has happened to you? Why have you changed and why are you spreading rumours? Elections and power come and go, why are you so scared? Have faith in the people of Bengal,” he said. The BJP believes it will gain politically in West Bengal from the amended citizenship law and the proposed nationwide NRC.