Calling the CAA as the law of the land, the minister categorically said the Act was not to snatch anyone’s citizenship.
Amit Shah to launch the National Cooperative Database on Friday
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) will be implemented before the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Calling the CAA as the law of the land, the minister categorically said the Act was not to snatch anyone’s citizenship.
Speaking at an event in the national capital, Shah in response to a question on CAA notification said, “CAA is the law of the country and it will be definitely notified. The CAA will be implemented before the elections (LS). No one should have confusion about it.”
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Claiming that CAA was the promise of the Congress leaders, the minister said when the country was divided, the minorities including Hindu , Jain and Christians were persecuted there, and they wanted to flee from there (to India).
Attacking the Congress, Shah further said, “The Congress party then promised to give citizenship whenever they come to India, but later backtracked.”
“I want to clarify that the CAA is not an Act to take away anyone’s citizenship as there is no such provision in it,” he said.
Without naming anyone, Shah said, “Minorities, especially Muslims are being provoked (on CAA).”
“CAA is the Act to grant Citizenship to the refugees from Pakistan and Bangladesh due to religious atrocities. I do not think there should be any opposition on this,’’ he said.
The CAA was passed in the Parliament in December 2019. The Act aims to grant Indian citizenship to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have migrated to India after facing persecution on grounds of religion in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, before 31st December 2014.
In response to another question on the general elections, Shah said, “It is not about INDIA vs NDA.”
This poll is about those who want to secure national security vs those who “endanger” national security, he asserted.
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