New Delhi, Dec 9 (UNI) Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday made a spirited defence of the Citizenship Amendment Bill and asserted that there has to be a difference between intruders and those rushing towards India after facing religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
He said the new Bill is not in violation of any constitutional provision.
"I want to assure that Muslims of India have nothing to worry about this Bill," he said.
"Those who come after facing persecution cannot be called infiltrators...," Mr Shah in his reply to the day-long debate on the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019.
He said in no ways the new law will discriminate against any community and maintained that it is also a matter of fact that Muslim population in India has increased in last seven decades.
Lashing out at Congress for 'accepting partition', he said: "Had India not been divided on religious lines, today there would have been no need for this Citizenship Amendment Bill".
Mr Shah told Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM that his party is not against Muslims, and requested the senior lawmaker that he should not 'spread any hatred'.
The Home Minister maintained the CAB provisions will not apply to entire state of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh and most parts of Nagaland where ILP regulation applies.
He said the BJP and the central government is firm about bringing in NRC norms across the country.
"We do not need to make any background. Our manifesto is clear, we will have nationwide NRC," the Home Minister said.
“This Bill is not against any religion but in favour of those who seek shelter in India," he clarified.
The Home Minister said he is firm about one thing that the government will not allow anyone to misuse the name of religion to do politics.
"Liaqat-Nehru agreement had failed on the rights of minorities," Mr Shah said.
UNI DEVN-SW 2326