Bengaluru: With a view to dispelling all rumours relating to the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) which is now a law, the BJP has planned to have a number of awareness campaigns to educate the people on the different aspects of the new law. 

On Monday (December 16) Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, BJP Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra and GVL Narasimha Rao, a BJP Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, addressed a presser in Bengaluru. 

Delineating on the issue, Vinay said, “BJP has organised workshops and addressing the people through the media for creating awareness on the CAB.”
He further added, “CAB was a part of the freedom movement itself. If Pakistan had honoured the Liaquat-Nehru pact, there was no need for the incumbent government to bring in such a law.” 

He particularly emphasised on the need to include religiously persecuted minorities in the countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. 

He said, “The CAB was specifically brought in to address the issues related to the minorities (Hindus and non-Muslims) in these three countries, as also to widen the scope for Indian citizens.” 

On the issue of several people staging protests against the CAB, he said, “There are many inimical forces trying to spread rumours for their own selfish and political interests. What we have done is to create a conduit to help these minorities integrate socially and emotionally.”

Narasimha Rao then took over and was rather caustic in his rebuttal against those who are protesting against the bill. 

He said, “BJP doesn’t see things from political lens. For the party, it is India first. But for others who oppose us, it is vote bank first. They change their positions frequently. This is a classic case of hypocrisy by the Congress and TMC.” 

He also cautioned against fearmongering. He said, “I have heard circulars are being handed out to Muslims and they are being asked to fill them up. This bill has nothing to do with Indian citizens or Indian Muslims.”

Later, he also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, the former AICC president for former PM Manmohan Singh’s appeal to the then PM on the floor of the Rajya Sabha in 2003 as its leader, for urging him to give citizenship to persecuted minorities in Bangladesh. 

He said, “Will Rahul Gandhi call Manmohan Singh communal for his remarks then in 2003?”