“The President of India could take action against States if they failed to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA),” Union Minister of State for Power R.K. Singh said here on Sunday.
He asserted that as citizenship was a Central subject, States were duty-bound to implement it. Mr Singh was speaking to media persons after releasing a brochure at the BJP office here in connection with Jana Jagaran Sampark Abhiyan campaign.
CAA for persecuted minorities
While accusing the Opposition of spreading falsehoods on it, Mr. Singh clarified that CAA was meant to give citizenship to Hindus and other minorities who were being driven out after persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Mr. Singh, a former IAS officer who served as Union Home Secretary, averred the CAA was not meant to take away citizenship of any person.
States bound by the Constitution
On statements by Kerala and West Bengal Governments against the CAA, Mr. Singh said they were bound by the Constitution. “If they don’t implement, the President of India may come to the conclusion that there is break down of constitutional machinery,” he remarked.
He said as part of campaign to educate people against the lies being spread by the Congress and other parties on CAA, they were holding door-to-door campaign across the country and had recently launched a missed call number 8866288662 to garner support for the Act.
Shias and Ahmedias will be considered
When asked whether the government would provide citizenship to Shias and Ahmedias being persecuted in some countries, he said: “If they seek citizenship, we would certainly consider on a case- -to-case basis.”
Mr. Singh pointed out that the number of minorities after Partition in 1947 in Pakistan had come down from a little over 19 per cent to 1.9 per cent due to persecution and coercion. “Do not to go by the fear psychosis being created by the Congress and other Opposition parties,” he appealed to the minorities.
BJP National Executive member K. Haribabu, city president M. Ravindra Reddy, former MLA P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, spokesperson Suhasini Anand and State vice-president Kasi Viswanath Raju were present.
