Law Minister assures minorities on citizenship issue
New Delhi, Jan 7: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Sunday assured the minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who had taken refuge in India that they can now stay here with dignity and honour as Indian citizens.
He was addressing a function organised by Indraprastha Vishwa Hindu Parishad at Siri Fort Auditorium on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He assured those Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Christians and Parsi community refugees not to worry anymore and live peacefully with their heads held high.
The Law Minister said that these people had to undergo many atrocities and face inhuman tortures in the neighbouring Islamic countries. They came to India to seek refuge. Those who are opposing citizenship to these persecuted minorities and expressing concern for Rohingya Muslims are indulging in vote bank politics, he said.
Explaining that the CAA does not deprive any Indian citizen of his/her citizenship, the Law Minister expressed concern over the violent outbreak on this issue. He said that everyone has right to express his anger but in a peaceful manner.
The Law Minister also felicitated one Hindu refugee women Aarti and her daughter ‘Nagarikata’ at the function. They had come from Pakistan to save their religion and honour.
The program was attended by refugees who had come from these three nations in large number with their family members. The special issue of ‘Hindu Vishwa’ dedicated to Citizenship Act was released at the function.
VHP working president Alok Kumar supported the CAA stating that this was necessary long ago and the Modi government deserves praises for bringing this law. Deploring violence in the name of protest against the CAA Kumar said that the government should take action to contain such mindless violence.
Referring to the attack on Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan Kumar asked those who opposed the CAA what would they say if Pakistan’s Jagjit Kaur sought refuge in India? He said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi does not waste time in visiting those protestors but hardly she visited the refugee camps where these persecuted Hindus, Sikhs and others from Pakistan,k Afghanistan and Bangladesh are putting up.
Prashant Hartalkar who is Coordinator of Vishwa Vibhag of VHP narrated the plight of the Hindus and Sikhs in these three neighboring Islamic countries. He said that there are only 500 Sikhs left in Afghanistan and they will have to come to India soon.
Congratulating the refugees who are now Indian citizens, Hartalkar said that with citizenship they have to perform certain duties towards this nation also.
He said that against the backdrop of the anti-CAA demonstrations no country including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan said that minorities were not persecuted in their countries. No Christian, Muslim, Jew or Buddhist country has ever come forward and said that they will grant citizenship to their religious fellows from these Islamic countries. There are over 150 Christian, 50 plus Muslim and 30 Buddhist countries in the world. Only India made this law to grant citizenship them. This should be praised all over the world but some people are opposing this. If someone takes to street and resorts to violence in the name of protest and spreads violence, anarchy and indulge in unconstitutional or anti-national activities that will not be tolerated.
Earlier, the refugees from these three Islamic nations narrated their sordid tales and expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, VHP and others for supporting them.
The program that continued for over four hours was conducted by VHP Delhi Vice President Surendra Gupta and was addressed by Mahamandaleshwar Swami Pragyanandji Mahraj, Rakesh Gupta of Sadhana Samachar Group, and Vinod Bansal, National Spokesman of VHP.
Jain Acharya Lokesh Muni, VHP Vice-President Om Prakash Singhal, Regional Organising Secretary Mukesh Khandekar, State President Kapil Khanna, Vagish Issar, Mahavir Prasad, Vaibhav Sharma and others were conspicuous by their presence at the function.