Puri: Asserting that the Centre would not repeal the amended Citizenship Act under any circumstance, senior BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Sunday, said the recent violence and vandalism at a gurdwara in Pakistan was a case in point which highlighted the necessity of the new law.
Lashing out at the opposition parties, the former Union minister, who was in Odisha to attend an awareness campaign in support of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), said those trying to mislead people on the law would never succeed.
Describing Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan as one of the holiest Sikh shrines, Rudy said the recent attack and vandalism near Lahore have raised serious concerns over the security of the community.
“All these (instances) amply show that the CAA is necessary in our country. There is no question of the Modi government budging even an inch from CAA implementation,” the BJP MP contended, emphasising the need to ensure safety of minorities persecuted in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Claiming that the Nehru-Liaquat pact (bilateral treaty between India and Pakistan) had sought to guarantee the rights of minorities after Partition, Rudy said Hindu population, which stood at 27 per cent in Pakistan during Independence, has now dipped to just three per cent.
“Hindu women in Pakistan are forced to convert and marry Muslims,” he insisted.
Referring to the 1971 Bangladesh war, Rudy said, “People who left that country and took shelter in India were then given citizenship. Even the ones that fled persecution in Uganda and moved to India were granted citizenship.”
Coming down heavily on those opposing the amended law, the former Union minister said any attempt to introduce a proposal in the Assembly against the new citizenship act was “unconstitutional”.
The Kerala Assembly recently passed a resolution—supported by the ruling CPIM-led LDF and opposition Congress- led UDF— demanding the repeal of the Citizenship Act.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to his non-BJP counterparts in several states, including Odisha, asking them to unite against CAA, but it should be noted that Naveen Patnaik had voted in favour of the amended law in Parliament, the BJP leader stated.
“Many Congress leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh, had pleaded for a measure like the Citizenship Law, but the grand old party is now trying to mislead people on the issue,” he added.