THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed the opposition for supporting the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests and assured people that the new citizenship law will not take away the citizenship of any Indian.
"I support CAA. Some are protesting without understanding the Act. But what is more surprising is that Congress is not ready to understand. CPI, CPM deliberately do not want to understand."
"CAA does not imply to India or any of its citizens...It will neither give citizenship nor takes away anyone's citizenship. Indira Gandhi gave citizenship to Hindus who have come from Uganda, Rajiv Gandhi also gave citizenship to Tamilians from Sri Lanka. Then I do not understand that If PM Modi is doing the same then why is it bad ?."
"Only the Parliament has the power to pass the law regarding citizenship, not any State Assembly," he added.
These statements by the Union Minister came just hours after the Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a resolution urging the Central government to repeal the CAA.
Protests erupted across the country over the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.