CAA to stay: Amit Shah’s firm message to protesters, Mamata Banerjee & other Opposition leaders

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday was firm about the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). At a rally in Lucknow, he reaffirmed that CAA will be implemented in the country “no matter who opposes it”.

He challenged the opposition to hold an open debate on the Act, saying: “Mamata-didi, Rahul-baba, Akhilesh-ji, whoever among you has the guts to conduct an open debate on the issue, choose a stage for it.” Shah asked why Mamata Banerjee was creating trouble when the BJP wants to give citizenships to the Matua and Namasudra refugees. He continued, “Show me any clause in the CAA which can take away anyone’s citizenship, let alone Muslims.”

Shah accused the Opposition including the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Congress among others of misleading people and spreading unrest in the country. He reiterated his claim saying that CAA does not aim to take away anyone’s citizenship, and it is to grant citizenship to refugees and give them a new lease of life. He accused the Congress for the Partition and called it a consequence of a “sin committed by Congress”.

Not only other political parties, Shah also targeted the protesters across the country. At the rally, Shah said that CAA protesters have taken to a “fashion” of coming out to the streets by tying bands around their heads. He said the protesters were putting up a “show of human rights concern” when the Muslims population was affected, and accused them of being indifferent when non-Muslims were persecuted or driven away from Muslim majority countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. “Where was your concern for human rights when crores were tortured in these countries?” he questioned.

Referring to a “reduced” non-Muslim population in neighbouring Muslim dominated countries, Shah said “Where did they go? Either they were killed or converted (to Muslims), the women got abducted or they had to take refuge in India.” He called the CAA protesters “blind and deaf” and alleged that they chose to ignore it when the people from non-Muslim communities were persecuted in these countries.

This is not the first time, Shah has made his position clear on CAA though. Earlier too he said that there was no question of backtracking on the CAA.