AAP, Cong inciting Muslims against citizenship law, instigating riots: Amit Shah

The BJP sustained its attack on the AAP and the Congress over the amended citizenship act on Friday, with Home Minister Amit Shah accusing the two parties of "inciting Muslims" against the law and "instigating riots" in Delhi.

Shah also accused the Kejriwal government of not fulfilling its promises, and pledged to make Delhi the best capital city in the world if BJP is voted to power in assembly elections.

Claiming that one-third of people in Delhi were refugees from Pakistan, Shah slammed AAP and Congress for opposing the law, which seeks to grant citizenship to religious minorities escaping persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and who have come to India by December 31, 2014.

"They started inciting Muslims and instigated riots in Delhi. They are still saying — we support Shaheen Bagh. Congress leaders visit Shaheen Bagh regularly," he said, referring to the anti-citizenship law protest in the area continuing for over a month.

On Thursday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said he stood with the people of Shaheen Bagh.

The BJP has been out of power in Delhi since 1998 and has been making attempts to dislodge AAP in the assembly elections scheduled for February 8. Shah has been leading the BJP campaign addressing back-to-back rallies in the national capital ahead of the assembly polls.

On Thursday, he addressed a rally in Matiala in west Delhi and hit out at the AAP, accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of speaking Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's language. Later that day, he took out a roadshow in Uttam Nagar and addressed another rally in Nangloi Jat.

On Friday, Shah addressed meetings in Karawal Nagar and Mustafabad in northeast Delhi.

He promised BJP will implement Ayushman Bharat scheme and PM Awas Yojana if voted to power in Delhi, a day after he accused the AAP government of stalling the Central health scheme.

"This fight is between those who do not fulfil their promises and those who do more than they promise," Shah said, accusing the AAP government of failing to fulfil its 2015 poll promises.

Talking about the outgoing government's free power and water supply schemes, he alleged, "People are getting bills of Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000 despite free consumption allowed up to 200 units per month. Kejriwal government is supplying the dirtiest water in the homes of Delhi."

The Ayushman Bharat scheme offers Rs 5 lakh treatment to the poor but Kejriwal government did not implement it, fearing it will earn popularity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.

"The Modi government provided ownership rights to 50 lakh residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies in Delhi which Congress and AAP could not do in past 20 years," he said.

The former BJP chief highlighted Modi government's achievements, including the surgical strike inside Pakistan after the February 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack, Supreme Court judgment paving way for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

"For 500 years, all Indians wanted a Ram temple in Ayodhya. But whenever the case came up for hearing Rahul baba and his lawyer Kapil Sibal obstructed it. Now, a towering, grand Ram temple will be constructed in Ayodhya in four months."

He also lashed out at Kejriwal and Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying surgical strikes were done under the Modi government. "Pakistan forgot that Mauni Baba Manmohan Singh was no longer the prime minister. Narendra Modi with 56 inch chest was PM and we killed the terrorists in Pakistan," he said.

He slammed Kejriwal for seeking "evidence" of the surgical strike, saying he could have watched Pakistani TV channels instead of questioning India's action.

Shah also accused Kejriwal and Gandhi of backing those allegedly raising "Bharat Tere Tukde Honge Ek Hazar" slogan at JNU, asserting Modi government sent such elements behind the bars.

"But the Kejriwal government is not giving sanction for their prosecution," he said.

He stated that people needed to support the BJP and Narendra Modi for a "safe" Delhi.