'Nobody can remove CAA...': PM Modi attacks Congress, SP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday defended the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) during a poll rally in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. The PM also hit out at the opposition for allegedly trying to cause riots in the country by spreading lies about the CAA. He said that although the leaders of the "INDI alliance [Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance]" claim that they will remove CAA, "no one can do it."
Why does this story matter?
This comes a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs issued the first set of citizenship certificates under the CAA to 14 people. On March 11, the Centre notified the rules for the CAA, paving the way for the implementation of the controversial law over four years after its passage by Parliament in December 2019.
CAA received President's assent in 2019
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, aimed at expediting Indian citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—but not Muslims—fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 9, 2019, and by the Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019. It received the President's assent on December 12, 2019. The passage of the law sparked widespread protests across the country.
Opposition's argument against CAA
The CAA has faced opposition from several leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, who have vowed not to implement the law. Despite this, PM Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah have promised that the law will be implemented across the country. The opposition claims that the CAA discriminates against Muslims and is unconstitutional. In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the opposition of misleading Muslims for vote bank politics.
Watch: PM's speech in Azamgarh
Modi accuses opposition of spreading lies
On Thursday, the PM named opposition parties—the Samajwadi Party and the Congress—accusing them of "spreading lies" over the issue. "Even today, people of this INDI alliance say...CAA will also be removed. Desh mein koi maai ka laal paida hua hai jo CAA hata sake?" he said. "Nobody can remove the CAA. Modi has removed their veil of fake secularism under the garb of which they tried to do votebank politics and made Hindu-Muslim fight against each other," he added.
Modi accuses Congress of neglecting refugees
"The work of giving refugees citizenship under the CAA has already started. These...people who have been living in the country for a long time as refugees...were victims of partition of the country done on the basis of religion," the PM said in his speech. Modi also accused the Congress of neglecting these refugees. "They [the Congress and SP] tried to push Uttar Pradesh and the entire country towards riots," he alleged.
