CAA | No one in India will lose citizenship, says Amit Shah

Hyderabad, Mar 12 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has honoured Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain refugees by giving them citizenship through CAA, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday and maintained there is no provision of stripping of anyone's citizenship in the new law.

Hitting out at the Congress and AIMIM, Shah, addressing party meetings here, said AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Hyderabad Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi are lying that minorities of the country will lose their citizenship with the implementation of CAA.

Addressing a BJP social media volunteers meeting here, Shah alleged that the Congress party opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) due to appeasement and vote-bank politics.

"We had said we will bring CAA. The Congress party opposed CAA. Since Independence it was a promise of the Congress and makers of our Constitution that citizenship will be granted to those persecuted on religious grounds in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, who come (to India). But, due to appeasement and vote-bank politics, the Congress party opposed the CAA," Shah said, justifying its implementation.

He said in order to save their faith and honour lakhs and crores of people from Pakistan and Bangladesh came to India, but were not granted citizenship.

"They (refugees) felt insulted in their own country when they were not granted citizenship," he said, adding that PM Modi honoured Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh refugees by granting them citizenship through the CAA.

The Centre on Monday implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

With the unveiling of the rules that came days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants -- Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians -- from the three countries. The rules came into force with immediate effect, according to a Gazette notification.

Later, addressing a BJP booth workers' meeting here, Shah hit out at those spreading "misapprehension" about the CAA, saying the law grants citizenship and would not take it away.

He slammed AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi and said they were lying that minorities will lose citizenship due to CAA and accused them of indulging in vote-bank politics over the issue.

"...I want to tell the minorities of this country that no citizen of the country will lose citizenship due to CAA. The CAA is a law that grants citizenship and does not to take away anyone's citizenship. I assure you there is no provision in CAA to snatch anyone's citizenship," he said.

He said the Modi government fulfilled the promise of CAA even as the Congress and the AIMIM opposed it.

Narendra Modi by granting citizenship to the refugees fulfilled their dreams to live life with dignity, he further said.

Shah highlighted the abolition of Article 370, construction of the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya, 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, abolition of instant triple talaq and the country emerging as the fastest growing economy as some of the achievements of the Modi government.

He further said India is poised to become the third largest economy in the world under the leadership of PM Modi.

Terming the Congress, the BRS and the AIMIM as dynastic parties, Shah asserted that the BJP should get 12 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming general elections.

He said he did not see Narendra Modi taking a holiday even for a day in the past 23 years.

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, Shah said "every three months he (Rahul Gandhi) takes leave for 45 days. Modi asks everyone to enjoy their holiday in India, but he (Rahul Gandhi) goes to Italy, England and America because he feels it is hot here (in India).

Recalling the surgical and air strikes carried out by the NDA government against terror camps, Shah said there used to be regular infiltration from Pakistan and former PM Manmohan Singh did not do anything about it.

Hitting out at the INDI alliance (INDIA bloc) and the BRS, the Home Minister said those parties are trying to promote their offspring while the BJP under the leadership of PM Modi has been trying to make India a 'Vishwaguru.' After the meetings, Shah along with Union Minister G Kishan Reddy offered prayers at the Bhagyalakshmi temple near the historic Charminar here. PTI