The protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has gone intense, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the Narendra Modi government is firm on implementing the controversial legislation and no opposition can deter him from doing that. Shah accused the “entire opposition” of misleading the people of the country on the bill and said that there was no question of taking away citizenship of any person from any minority community. He made this statement at an event. He says no such provision exists in the bill.
He reiterates firmly “Oppose as much as you can but the Narendra Modi govt is firm that CAA will be implemented and all these refugees will get Indian citizenship and can live here with honor,” Shah also cornered Congress and reminded them about Nehru-Liaquat Pact and How it was not implemented for70 years because of vote bank politics.
“Our government has implemented the pact and given citizenship to lakhs and crores of people,” he said.”You can protest all you want but migrants will get citizenship,” he said adding, “the Act is on the website and if one thinks this does injustice to anyone then let us know. Modi government doesn’t do injustice with anyone.”
Shah’s comments tried to question the Opposition leaders who along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi approached President Ram Nath Kovind to raise the issue of the Act that provides persecuted minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh citizenship while excluding Muslims. The opposition has firmly objected to making religion a basis for granting citizenship.
However, the Ministry of Home Affairs says that there seems to be a “misinformation campaign” against the CAA and he reiterates that CAA does not affect any Indian citizen, including Muslim citizens.
In an FAQ, the MHA said, “the CAA is a very focused law which deals specifically with foreigners of six minority community groups hailing from three neighboring countries which have their distinct state religion.”
“The CAA is not meant to deprive any Indian citizen of his citizenship. Rather it is a law that specifically enables certain foreigners facing persecution problems in three neighboring countries to get Indian citizenship,” it said.
The MHA also said appropriate rules under the CAA will be framed and they will operationalize various provisions of the new amendments.
