Published 11:30 IST, December 18th 2019
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi slams Cong over CAA, says PM Modi, Shah's claims are 'crystal clear'
Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said PM Modi and Amit Shah’s claims on CAA are “crystal clear”, and Oppn is spreading disinformation.
The Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, on Wednesday, reiterated PM Modi and HM Amit Shah’s claims on CAA and said that it is “crystal clear”. Stressing on the fact that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act had nothing to do with Indian citizens, Naqvi also targeted the Opposition for spreading lies and creating unrest. He also said that the opposition needs to learn about the Act first.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi slams Congress
Slamming Congress Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “This is a ploy by Congress and their allies, they are creating fear and distracting people from the truth. They want to fool people and politicise the issue. We should understand one thing, whatever PM Modi and HM Amit Shah have said is crystal clear. This Act does not question any Indian citizen’s citizenship. This is not a threat to anybody’s nationality. The social, constitutional and religious rights of all citizens are completely safe."
“People who are trying to create unrest and disturbance in society are destroying the spirit and brotherhood of the nation. People should understand the difference between fake and fabricated information. When they didn't get the mandate to form the government, they are trying to hijack the Republic of India by resorting to forceful means,” he added.
‘Bill not for Indian citizens’
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi further added, “There is no attempt to divide the nation on the lines of religion. These people are uneducated. They need to learn about the Act first. There is no threat to anyone, neither is there any discrimination of any sort. This Act is not even for the citizens of India, it is for the persecuted communities and refugees outside India."
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act
The Act seeks to provide citizenship to the minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This will be applicable to the members of these communities having arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. Moreover, they will not be considered as illegal migrants.
Additionally, the mandatory residence period for naturalised citizenship for these communities would be reduced to 5 years. Several parties in the North East such as the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) have been vehemently opposed to this Bill. To ameliorate their concerns, the Centre has exempted a major part of the North East from the ambit of the CAA. The opposition contends that the Bill discriminates on the basis of religion, which might go against Article 14, which guarantees the right to equality.
Updated 12:48 IST, December 18th 2019