HUBBALLI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday tore into the anti-CAA camp saying those who oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act are anti-Dalits because 70 per cent of those fleeing neighbouring countries due to religious persecution happen to be Dalits.
“Are you against offering citizenship to these persecuted Dalits?” Shah asked the Opposition parties. He was addressing a CAA awareness rally in Hubballi.
Shah said there was no clause in the Act that takes away the citizenship of Muslims, and accused the Congress and Rahul Gandhi of trying to create confusion. “I challenge Rahul Gandhi. Read the CAA completely and if you find anything that takes away the citizenship of Indian Muslims....our Pralhad Joshi (Parliamentary Affairs Minister) is ready to debate with you.”
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Recalling the destruction of Buddha statues in Afghanistan, Shah said a number of temples, churches and gurdwaras were demolished and thousands of people from the minority communities had to endure the atrocities committed by the majority community in Pakistan and Bangladesh. “They fled to India to save their life,” Shah said.
He pointed out that the religiously persecuted refugees were living a miserable life. “To help them lead a respectable life, the Narendra Modi government has thought of giving citizenship to them to protect their human rights.”
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Shah urged activists to visit refugee camps for understand ing their conditions. He lashed out at the Congress for procrastinating the issue all these years despite promises made by their tallest leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabh Bhai Patel and Moulana Abdul Kalam Azaad. Even Mahatma Gandhi had assured the minorities of the neighbouring counties citizenship, he said.
Spares none in opposition
The Communist Party, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the JDS, BSP, and SP of indulging in vote bank politics on CAA, Shah said.