Hyderabad: In his bitter attack on the Congress party today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah convicted the latter’s role in political favouritism when it comes to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Shah refuted allegations that CAA would lead to the deprivation of citizenship in one of the meetings in Hyderabad; he explained
that the Act aimed to facilitate the naturalization of eligible individuals and not to take the citizenship of anyone. Only the floor members Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, were named by him as people who, through their irresponsible conduct, misled the minority community by saying that the act would cost them their citizenship.
While addressing his rally in Hyderabad, Shah exclaimed, ” Owaisi, Kharge, Rahul Gandhi are untruthfully saying that minorities will lose their citizenship due to CAA.
” He says this in confidence and said, ” I humbly ask you to not be a part of this false propaganda. I assure that there is no provision in CAA to take away anyone’s citizenship.”
Shah’s statements come from the background of the recent CAA norm notification and central government through which the implementation of CAA will be laid out across the country. Pragnesh Shah stressed the point “the purpose of CAA is neither to take away the citizenship rights of any Indian nor to grantees”
Congress president Kharge and AIMIM chief Owaisi were vocal critics of CAA and had previously advocated against the Act. Kharge was critical of the BJP’s timing, which appeared to reflect their divisible intentions before the elections. At the same time, Owaisi seemed to protest against the new rules of the CA, insisting that the law would make Muslims second-class citizens.
Shah cited that Congress faced strident opposition from many regarding enacting the CAA, and thus, Congress decided to part ways with the CAA. While the Congress had always rejected CAA at the stage of Independence, the Constitution’s Makers promised that those refugees who came from Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh facing religious persecution would get Indian Citizenship. However, when this bill came up for discussion, he said the congress party, defined by caste, did not participate due to the consideration of vote bank politics.
The Citizenship Amendment Act aims to facilitate the granting of Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who faced religious persecution. While West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu governments have declared their refusal to implement the Act, Shah had previously announced that the CAA would be implemented before the 2024 general elections.
As the debate surrounding the CAA continues, political parties and leaders express differing viewpoints on its implications and significance for the country.
