'Congress behind trouble in varsities, CAA not anti-Muslim': BJP's Shahnawaz

BJP's national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain alleged on Wednesday that the Congress was behind the incidents of violence at Jamia Milia and Aligarh Muslim Universities.

He also stated that the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was not anti-Muslim, and "no Muslim would be thrown out of India".

Protests against the amended Citizenship Act took a violent turn at the two varsities earlier this week.

Hussain alleged that the Congress, facing defeats in elections, was misleading people and creating confusion over the act. "The Congress party which has lost elections is instigating the Muslim community. The incidents which happened in Jamia Milia or Aligarh Muslim University...the Congress is behind these incidents," he said.

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He further claimed that Congress workers disguised as students were creating trouble.

"Instead of their party flag, they are using the Indian flag and holding protests. Many of those who are protesting don't know why they are protesting," the BJP spokesperson said.

Hindus, Christians, Parsis and Sikhs were facing harassment in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, he said.

"Even today Christian girls are sold to China in Pakistan. When such people come to India, we have to give them citizenship," he said, defending the amended act which provides for the grant of citizenship to members of minority communities from the three countries. Confusion is being created all over the country by claiming that the act is against the Muslims, Hussain said.

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"As a BJP spokesman, I would like to insist that no Muslim would be thrown out of India. The Prime Minister has already made it clear that Muslims need not be afraid in India.

"Similarly, Home Minister Amit Shah has clarified that CAA is not against any minority community," he said.

India is the safest country for the minorities in the world, he claimed.

"We have the oldest church, the oldest mosque. Congress party is playing politics for their ego. It has no issue. They are just playing with one issue, of the Citizenship Amendment Act. This act is not (meant) to snatch away anyone's citizenship," Hussain added.

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