 "'Stop telling lies': BJP responds to Arvind Kejriwal's criticism of CAA")
In response to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's criticism of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad defended the legislation, emphasising that it does not deprive any Indian citizens of their citizenship. Prasad clarified that the CAA aims to grant citizenship to individuals persecuted based on their faith, urging those spreading communal tension in its name to stop and refrain from disseminating misinformation.
In a press conference, Prasad said, "It does not at all deprive any Indians of their citizenship. CAA only gives citizenship to those who are persecuted based on their faith. I want to tell those trying to spread communal tension in the name of CAA, to stop. Stop telling lies."
Prasad particularly called out political parties from southern India, specifically Kerala and Tamil Nadu, urging them to halt the propagation of hatred surrounding the CAA. He stated that India has historically provided citizenship to refugees in need and that the CAA upholds India's duty to offer opportunities for citizenship through legal means.
Highlighting that the implementation of the CAA is not linked to job or citizenship loss for Indian citizens, Prasad accused Kejriwal of engaging in vote-bank politics ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
"No one's jobs are being taken. No one's citizenship is being taken. This has nothing to do with Indian citizens," Prasad emphasised.
Earlier on Wednesday, Kejriwal had condemned the BJP-led government's implementation of the CAA, labelling it as "dirty vote bank politics." He expressed concerns that the law would facilitate the influx of a large number of poor minorities from Pakistan and Bangladesh into India, potentially benefiting the BJP in the upcoming elections.
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"There are 35 million minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The BJP wants to spend the money of our people in settling poor migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh by giving them houses and jobs here," the chief minister said.
The chief minister also shared concerns of law and order collapsing in the country. He explained, "This is a poor country, if we open our doors then where will we settle them? There is going to be more migration due to CAA law than what happened after independence. Law and order will collapse, theft, robbery and rape will increase."
The Citizenship Amendment Act, passed by the BJP-led government, aims to grant citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
(With agency inputs)