'Asaduddin Owaisi creating panic on CAA among people in Telangana', says BJP's Dr Laxman

Telangana state BJP president Dr. Laxman on Friday appealed to the Hyderabad police to not allow AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi to hold a meeting at Charminar against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), alleging that the Owaisis are misleading Muslims on the new citizenship law.

"The BJP delegation led by me (Laxman) met Hyderabad Police Commissioner and appealed him that permission should not be given to Asaduddin Owaisi to organize a meeting at Charminar against CAA and NRC. Owaisi brothers (Asaduddin Owaisi and Akberuddin Owaisi) are creating panic among people in Telangana," Laxman said.

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The BJP president further stated that the Central government's decision was in the best interest of people. He said that Asaduddin Owaisi is unable to 'digest' that the government is taking historic decisions considering all sections of society so they plan to mislead people in the name of CAA. 

"Today, the central government led by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are taking historic decisions by taking into confidence all sections of the people. Asaduddin Owaisi and Majlis party are not able to digest this. In the name of CAA, Muslims are being misled by them and they are being supported by Telangana Rashtra Samithi party and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao," Laxman alleged.

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Amit Shah-Owaisi spar over CAA

After declaring that CAA will not be rolled back despite the nationwide protests, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called for a public debate on the legislation on January 21. He said, "Modiji got CAA, now Rahul (Gandhi) and company, Mamata (Banerjee), Akhilesh (Yadav), Mayawati, the entire brigade is doing 'kau kau kau' against CAA."

"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 challenge Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, and Akhilesh Yadav to engage in a debate on CAA," the BJP leader added. 

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Despite Prime Minister Modi's assurances that CAA is about giving citizenship and not about snatching it away, people across the nation have protested against the Act. Protests at various places turned violent with incidents of stone-pelting and vandalizing public property.

The CAA 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.

READ | Owaisi Takes Up Amit Shah's CAA-NRC Challenge; Says, 'Debate With A Bearded Man'

(With inputs from ANI)