As Delhi limps back to normalcy after violent communal clashes between two groups over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said some “professional people engaged in the business of hatred” have been consistently instigating the Muslims in a vicious manner, leading to the riots.
The minister also questioned the attitude of the Opposition over the clashes and said there is a continuous effort to spread confusion over CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Naqvi told reporters that “irresponsible provocative statements from some leaders have added fuel to the fire. Under a conspiracy, Delhi was pushed towards violence”.
He said efforts are being made since the last two months to instigate Muslims.
“Opposition leaders and certain professional people have manipulated things around the CAA and the NRC,” he said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been consistently saying that no one would lose citizenship in the country due to the CAA,” Naqvi said.
He added that the Modi government was functioning with a resolve to bring in all-round development for everyone.
“Minorities don’t need to fear,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had accused the Opposition of inciting violence by provoking people against the citizenship law.
In his first remarks since the unprecedented violence broke out in Delhi earlier this week, Shah said: “Congress, Mamata Banerjee, SP and BSP are all opposing the CAA. They are saying this will take away the civil rights of minorities. Why are they all lying?”
Amit Shah’s statement came while addressing a rally at the Janata Maidan in Bhubaneshwar in support of CAA.
Further targeting the Opposition, the Home Minister said people should come out and ask those fomenting trouble to explain which clause of the CAA talked about snatching citizenship of people.
The Congress has held the Centre and Delhi government “directly responsible” for the riots in the northeast part of the national capital and demanded Amit Shah’s resignation.
The national capital witnessed unprecedented violence as the supporters and opponents of CAA clashed in the Northeast district.
As of now, at least 42 people have lost their lives and more than 350 injured as armed mobs rampaged through parts of northeast Delhi since Sunday and continued till Tuesday, looting and burning buildings and attacking the residents.