Those who are opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act should approach courts. They should not indulge in violent protests. A democratic government does not tolerate violent protests, Minister for Sugar, Kannada and Culture C.T. Ravi said in Belagavi on Friday.
He said that the Congress was behind the protests and Congress leaders were provoking people into violence.
He said that the Congress leaders are responsible for the death of the two people in Mangaluru. “They incited violence that led to the two deaths. But you should know that the dead were not those who were resting at home. They were those who had stored petrol bombs and stones at home and then, they had to face police firing,” the BJP leader said. He was speaking to journalists before a meeting with officers on sugarcane arrears.
“The Congress could not mobilise the protests during the triple talaq issue or after the Ayodhya judgment. Now, it is spreading lies among the youth and mobilising them on campuses. The Congress is trying to turn these protests into communal riots. The CAA is aimed at providing citizenship to those who flee Islamic countries due to religions persecution. But the Congress leaders are spreading lies that this Act will rob Indian Muslims of their citizenship and Constitutional rights. In fact, Congress leaders, including late Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, had tried to implement measures, including the National Register of Citizens. Now, that they are out of power and they are blaming us,” Mr. Ravi said.
“Dr. Manmohan Singh had argued for grant of citizenship to victims of religious persecution. Leaders who shed tears then are trying to fan fires now, he said. He accused Congress MLA U.T. Khader of inciting communal violence by his statement that Karnataka would burn if CAA was implemented. I am willing to discuss with anyone who claims his rights have been violated,” he said.
He said that a lot of people protesting did not know what CAA was. Asked about the possibility of some people protesting after understanding the provisions of the Act, he said that he would term such persons as anti-national elements.
“Minorities in India have been treated equally. Some parties have treated them even better than they did with the majority. CAA has been enacted to offer citizenship to those unfortunate minorities in the neighbouring countries and not to rob them of citizenship. If we do that, why are the protesters jealous?” he said.
“The Act specifically covers Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh as they are religious minorities in those countries. Similar benefits are not being offered to anyone from Sri Lanka Nepal, Bhutan, Malaysia or other countries. These are the leaders who advocate citizenship for Rohingyas who are famous for rioting and violence. But they oppose citizenship for religiously persecuted Hindus. They speak of setting the State on fire,” he said.
“But we know how to handle such conspiracies. The governments at the Centre and in the State are not cowards. People have elected us for strengthening India,” he said.
Reacting to the former MLA Firose Sait’s statement likening Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah’s regime to Hitler’s rule, Mr. Ravi said that India was neither an Islamic nor a Christian country to give birth to leaders like Hitler. Saints like Vivekananda and warriors like Shivaji were born in India and Hinduism does not speak of killing non-believers. Only those who gave birth to people like Idi Amin, Bin Laden and Taliban activists have the mindset of Hitler, he said. Religions born in India are not non-tolerant, he said.
