Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday challenged the opposition for a debate on the newly enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Addressing a rally in Lucknow, the BJP president said "I have come to you for a Jan Jagaran Abhiyan in Lucknow. Our government is hardly 8 months old but we are conducting this campaign to dispell the falsities being spread by the opposition against CAA. I challenged Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav to enegage in a debate on CAA."
He also accused the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of spreading lies about the law.
Shah also said those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act could continue doing so as the government would not withdraw the contentious legislation. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has today granted an opportunity to the persecuted minorities from the neighbouring countries to start a new life. I declare her in Lucknow, that whoever wants to protest against CAA is free to do so but this law will not be rolled back."
He said there is no provision in the amended law for taking anyone's citizenship away. “A canard is being spread against the CAA by the Congress, SP, BSP, and Trinamool Congress.”
“The CAA is a law to grant citizenship,” he added.
Shah said that at the time of partition, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain constituted 30 per cent of the population in Bangladesh and 23 per cent in Pakistan. But today, it's just 7 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively. "Where have these people gone? Those who are protesting against CAA, I want to ask them this," he said.
"Congress has become blind due to vote bank politics,"he said. He also balmed the Congress for Partition.
Accusing the opposition of supporting the people who shouted anti-national slogans in Delhi's awaharlal Nehru University (JNU), The right-wing leader said, “Two years ago, anti-national slogans were shouted inside JNU. I have come to ask the people whether those who talk about dividing Bharat Mata into thousands of pieces should be put in jail? Modi ji put them in jail and Rahul and company are saying that this is freedom of speech."
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