A day after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath-led a rally in Bhopal against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the BJP and right-wing groups on Thursday alleged the Congress was spreading rumours flagging the Act would exclude Muslims and rankling them for “vote bank politics”.
“The Bill has been passed by both the houses of the Parliament and become a law. The Congress must accept this,” said Vikas Virani, BJP Bhopal district president. “They are continuously provoking Muslims by misleading them that they’ll have to flee the country now. However, the law is about granting citizenship, not snatching it.”
More than 1,000 members of the BJP and right-wing groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Bajrang Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha took out a rally in Bhopal supporting the Act and demanding the implementation of a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Stating that the Congress was indulging in “vote bank politics”, Mr. Virani said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is correcting a historical wrong committed by the Congress during the Partition, and it is for everyone’s good, including Muslims.”
As for the suspicion that the imminent National Population Register would set the ball rolling for the NRC, Mr. Virani said, “In every country, taking a head count is a periodic exercise. So, where is the issue?”
Asserting that Muslims need not fear as the Act targeted only “infiltrators”, former Bhopal MP and BJP leader Alok Sanjar said, “The Congress is spreading rumours that the Act is based on religious lines, but it’s not. They need to understand the difference between an infiltrator and a refugee.”
Meanwhile, Vishal Malviya, a participant, said that NRC should be implemented across the country as early as possible. “It will help catch those who entered our country without valid documents,” he claimed.
Stating that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had clarified enough all doubts over the Act in the Parliament, Akash Malviya, another participant, alleged, “The Congress wants to divide people and incite a riot. Whereas the Act treats everyone equal and that’s the message of Mr. Modi.”
