Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said that some people are against showing any documents but were asking for all kinds of evidence from Lord Ram to prove that he was born in Ayodhya.
Speaking at the India Ideas Conclave at the tent city of Kevadiya near the Statue of Unity in Narmada district of Gujarat, Prasad also targeted Opposition parties for their common refrain against "majoritarianism", calling it "intellectual dishonesty" and "hypocrisy".
"These days a lot of people are saying that they will not show any documents or papers. Fine! But the same set of people will ask for all evidences and proofs from Lord Ram to prove that he was born in Ayodhya," Prasad said.
He was probably referring to the erstwhile Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case where demands for the evidence on Lord Ram's birth in Ayodhya had been made during the trial in the supreme court.
In its verdict in the case in November last year, the supreme court cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre plot at an alternative place to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.
Recently, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the most vocal critic of the CAA-NRC-NPR regime, had reportedly asked people to not show their documents for the upcoming National Population Register (NPR) exercise.
Prasad said, "Now we are hearing about Majoritarianism. You contested, you campaigned and you lost but you do not want to respect the popular mandate. This is intellectual dishonesty and hypocrisy".
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Congress and other Opposition parties had targetted the Narendra Modi government for passage of certain bills that have triggerred controversies by blaming "brute majority".
Prasad also praised the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) for its "commitment and character".
"You must research as to why so many social movements which were born in India did very well but also had their limitations. The RSS is only rising and rising. It is because of their commitment, character and one-to-one connect with fellow human beings," he said.
Later speaking to reporters, Prasad said Congress president Sonia Gandhi's "aar-par ki ladai" (battle to fight or finish) statement was "improper" and that it was made "with an intent to play vote bank politics".
"Riots taking place at any place is very bad. Everybody has to maintain calm," he said when asked about the Shaheen Baug protest, and recent communal riots in Northeast Delhi that has left 42 people dead and over 200 injured.
Prasad reiterated the BJP's line that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will not take away anybody's citizenship.
"Indira Gandhi (former PM) had given citizenship to Gujaratis when Idi Amin (President of Uganda) had played some mischief, (Then prime minister) Rajiv Gandhi had given citizenship to Tamils.
"(Then prime minister) Manmohan Singh had demanded while (Rajasthan chief minister) Ashok Gehlot wrote letters (to give citizenship to minorities from Pakistan and Bangladesh)," he said.
Prasad said the government was always willing to talk to those people who want to listen to its argument on the CAA.
"However, some of them are hell bent on doing politics over it and they will be given answers. All this is happening due to vote bank politics," he said apparently referring to protests over the new citizenship act.