Amit Shah in Hyderabad: CAA won’t cancel existing citizenship; Owaisi, Kharge are lying

Hyderabad: 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 for stripping of anyone’s citizenship in the new law.

Hitting out at 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.

‘Congress opposing CAA due to vote-bank politics’

Addressing a BJP social media volunteers meeting in Hyderabad, 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 the CAA. Since Independence, it was a promise of the Congress and makers of our Constitution that citizenship would 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, that 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.

What is 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.

Don’t spread fears about CAA, says Shah

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.

Shah lists Centre’s achievements

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.

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 INDIA alliance 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.

Congress reacts to CAA

Reacting to the speech by Amit Shah hating the Congress in a meeting, TPCC senior vice-president Niranjan said, “Whenever there is an election in the country, BJP tries to create hatred and blow poisonous winds. Notifying the CAA yesterday just before the announcement of the schedule which revealed the true colours of the BJP, now again confirmed the intentions of BJP with the declaration of Amit Shah as they will abolish the Muslim reservation in Telangana.”

“No power can cancel the 4 per cent Muslim reservation which was granted by the Congress government after it came to power in 2004. His dream of winning 12 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana by making such irresponsible statements and inciting tensions as home minister will never be fulfilled,” he added.

“Why are they hiding the details of BRS corruption log? All the people in the country know the internal alliance between BJP and Majlis. Everyone knows how Majlis has worked against Congress throughout the country with the financial assistance of the BJP during earlier elections,” questioned the senior leader.