Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday said the stone-pelting at Sri Nankana Sahib is a glaring example of atrocities against the minority communities in Pakistan and lashed at Congress leaders for politicizing Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Addressing media at Dehradun in Uttarakhand, Thakur said the Act was an attempt to provide relief to these minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities.

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“Congress leaders are trying to make mountain out of mole as they have no issue and want to divert the attention of the people from core issue of development.

Every minority in this country is free, secure and independent to practice the religion of their choice and in the last five years, as many as 566 Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were granted Indian citizenship,” he said.

Thakur said many persons of Indian origin including persons belonging to the said minority communities from these countries have been applying for citizenship under section 5 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 but they are unable get the same.

Hence, they are forced to apply for citizenship by naturalisation under section 6 of the said Act. The Third Schedule of the Act make applicants belonging to the said communities from the aforesaid countries eligible for citizenship by naturalisation if they can establish their residency in India for five years instead of the existing eleven years.

“Opposition leaders are making unnecessary hue and cry over this Act in a desperate attempt to divert the attention of the people from core issues of development.

The Act is in no way against any citizen of the country belonging to any religion or sect and the opposition leaders are trying to intimidate the minorities of India by misleading them by terming CAA as anti-minorities,” he added.

The Chief Minister said CAA only intends to help minority communities facing religious persecution in the three neighbouring countries and was in no way against any community or sect.

“An agreement was signed between Jawaharlal Nehru and Liaquat Ali to protect the minority communities of the respective countries.

India abides by this pact but in Pakistan, the condition of minority is pathetic.

Since, the Constitutions of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh provided for a specific state religion, many persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities have faced persecution on grounds of religion in those countries. This resulted into continuous large scale migration of minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan,” he said.

Thakur added the country today was safe and secure under the able and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was poised to emerge as the world power in the comity of the Nations.

“The people of Himachal gave massive mandate to the state government in the Lok Sabha and thereafter in the bye elections.

India has regained its old glory under the able leadership of PM Modi and even the leaders of most powerful nations of the world have now acknowledged his strong leadership.

In fact, the abrogation of Article 370 was possible due to the strong political will power and today India is one nation with one Constitution and one flag,” he added.

He said similarly, the decision regarding Triple Talaq was also a historic one which have ensured empowerment of Muslim women’s and check their exploitation.