BJP rally reaffirms stand on Citizenship Amendment Act in Guwahati

* Nadda dares Rahul to say 10 lines on Act and two lines against it

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The conference of BJP’s booth presidents and elected representatives at the Veterinary College playground here on Saturday reaffirmed the party’s stance on the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), besides its sharp criticism to the Congress and other anti-CAA forces. The conference was attended by thousands of party leaders and workers.

Addressing the conference, BJP’s national working president JP Nadda launched a scathing attack on the Congress, for what he said, misguiding the people of the State on the CAA. “The Congress has no issue, and they got an issue on the CAA. Only people who came to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014 will get Indian citizenship to live with dignity under the CAA.

“There were as many as 50,000 Sikh families in Afghanistan, but the country is left with only 2,000 Sikh families now. The percentage of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians in Pakistan at the time of separation was 23. However, their percentage has been reduced to 3 now. Similarly, Bangladesh also had 23 per cent population of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Christians and Buddhists, but their percentage is just 7 now.

“Where’ve all these people gone? Have they converted to another religion or fled their respective countries because of religious persecution? The world wants to know this,” he said, and added, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the arrangement for allowing these persecuted people to live in India with dignity.”

Nadda pointed out, “While bringing the CAA, implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord in letter and spirit was taken into consideration. Protecting the language, literature and culture of Assam is the responsibility of the Government at the Centre. I feel pity for the Congress’ mentality. I dare Rahul Gandhi to say ten lines on the CAA and two lines as to why Congress is opposing the Act.”

Nadda has also said that even Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were also in favour of giving shelter to all those who came to India from Pakistan. He also said that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went on record saying that the Hindus were being harassed in Bangladesh and talked of solving the issue on the floor of the Parliament. “The moot question now is: Why didn’t he do anything in ten years. His lapse made us do that job now?” he said, and added: “Votes are more important than the country for the Congress. However, for us the country is all important, not votes.”

Speaking at the conference, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Nobody should be afraid of the CAA. It’s not going to do us any harm. There has been a false campaign on the Act. In the last three-and-a-half years, our government has never taken any decision against the indigenous people of the State, and won’t ever take any. A political conspiracy is being hatched in the entire country. Their prime aim is to make it to power by toppling this government. Those who’re hatching such a nasty plot by fomenting unrest among the peace-loving people are enemies of the State.”

NEDA (North East Democratic Alliance) convener Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The Hindu Bangladeshi applicants seeking Indian citizenship won’t be more than five lakh. Even if they exceed five lakh by a single person, we’ll give up politics. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking control of the reins of power, not a single Bangladeshi entered India as they’re now living in peace in their neighbouring country.”

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