Muslims from Pak, Afghanistan and Bangladesh can go to Islamic countries: Gadhkari on Citizenship row
Amid widespread protests in the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that Muslims of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh have the option to go to as many as 150 Islamic countries in the world while persecuted minorities in three neighbouring countries have nowhere to go except India to take recluse. Addressing a rally in support of the new law in Nagpur on Sunday, Gadkari said there are 100 to 150 countries that are Islamic if Muslims of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh want to leave their country they can go to as many as 150 countries.
"The Muslims who come from these three countries are not called refugees while the Hindus, Jain, Parsis, Sikh, Christians etc are called refugees," said Nitin Gadkari.
He said that Hindus and other religious minorities have to face persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afganistan and have nowhere to go except India.
"Where they will go except India?" said Gadkari. "They are faced with numerous atrocities, murder, rapes and loot of their property. There are forceful conversions," he added.
While saying that Hindu and other minorities are subjected to innumerable atrocities in Pakistan, Gadkari asked "Is being Hindu a crime?"
He said that Hindu minorities in Pakistan are subjected to numerous atrocities that include forceful conversion and rapes.
"Hindus in Pakistan are subjected to religious persecution, women are raped, and there are forceful conversion and others. Is being Hindu a crime?" asked Nitin Gadkari.
"I have met those who are refugees from Pakistan at Jodhpur. The women told that they were raped, the property was looted and they were driven out. They were subjected to such atrocities that they have to flee from Pakistan and take recluse in India," said Nitin Gadkari.
He said that India that is Bharat is the tolerant country that has no expansionist agenda and has never done the religious conversion on the basis of the sword.
"We have always given shelter to those who require it. Bharat has never done the forced conversion on the basis of the sword. The Muslims from India who goes to Saudi Arabia are called 'Hindus' it is because our identity is not related to any religion," said Gadkari.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.
(with ANI inputs)
