Law Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday attacked Congress and other opposition parties over the resolution adopted at their meeting here concerning Citizesnship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and Article 370 and said it must have "gladdened heart of Pakistan".
He accused Congress of standing with "urban Maoists" and the 'tukde-tukde' gang by opposing CAA and NPR.
He also took a dig at the efforts to project opposition unity at the meeting convened by Congress, saying Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress Bahujan Samaj Party and Aam Aadmi Party did not take part in the meeting.
"Opposition's unity stands exposed in this meeting itself as major political parties like SP, TMC, BSP and AAP did not participate in the meeting. But the resolution passed today in the opposition meeting must have gladdened the heart of Pakistan," Prasad told reporters here.
"Pakistan which has persecuted the religious minorities should have been brought to the book but Congress is blaming the BJP government for bringing in Citizenship Amendment Act. Is it not true that the most exploited minority communities in Pakistan and Bangladesh are poor. If Pakistan does not respect human rights, then how does the blame fall on Prime Minister Narendra Modi?" he asked.
Prasad said that the National Population Register (NPR) was brought in 2010 when a Congress-led UPA government was in power.
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"Why is the Congress silent on who brought National Population Register. It was brought by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in 2010. Was it okay then? Dr Manmohan Singh had said in 2003 that Hindu refugees from Bangladesh and Pakistan should get Indian citizenship. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in his earlier term and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had also written to the Home ministry requesting to grant citizenship rights to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries," Prasad said.
"Congress is standing with urban Maoists and the 'Tukde-Tukde' gang by opposing CAA and NPR. We condemn the double standards of Congress. This resolution is not in the interest of the country and the persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries," he added.
The Congress and 19 other opposition parties on Monday demanded the withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the immediate stoppage of "NRC/NPR".
They have also said that the chief ministers who have declared that they will not implement the NRC must consider "suspending NPR enumeration as it was a prelude to the NRC".