CAA divisive, based on Godse’s notion of reducing Muslims to second-class citizens: Owaisi

The Hyderabad MP alleged that along with NPR-NRC, CAA is meant to "target Muslims" and serves no other purpose.

ByPTI

Published Mar 12, 2024 | 11:32 AMUpdatedMar 12, 2024 | 11:32 AM

Asaduddin Owaisi

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday, 11 March, said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is divisive and based on Godse’s notion that Muslims should be “reduced to second-class citizens”.

His “Godse’s notion” was an apparent reference to the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse.

Reacting to the Centre notifying the rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the Hyderabad MP alleged that along with NPR-NRC, CAA is meant to “target Muslims” and serves no other purpose.

“Understand the chronology. First, the election season will come, next will be the CAA rules,” he said.

“Indians who came out on the streets to oppose CAA-NPR-NRC will have no choice but to oppose it again,” Owaisi said in a post on social media platform X, stating that his objections to CAA remain the same.

Batting for asylum for “anyone who is persecuted,” he said citizenship must not be based on religion or nationality.

Owaisi sought to know from the BJP-led NDA government why it kept these rules pending for five years and implementing it now— just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

“Give asylum to anyone who is persecuted but citizenship must not be based on religion or nationality. The govt should explain why it kept these rules pending for five years & why it’s implementing it now. Along with NPR-NRC, CAA is meant to only target Muslims, it serves no other purpose,” the AIMIM chief remarked.

On earlier occasions, Owaisi had said that the CAA violates India’s Constitution and that his party would always oppose it. He also alleged that the CAA was drafted on the basis of religion.

Also Read: CAA is here: Modi government notifies rules ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024

The CAA rules

With the CAA rules being notified, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants— Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from three neighbouring countries—Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came to India before 31 December 2014.

The CAA was passed in December 2019 and subsequently got the President’s assent but there were protests in several parts of the country against it. The law could not come into effect as rules had not been notified till now.

“These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, will enable the persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for the grant of Indian citizenship,” a home ministry spokesperson said.

The nine states where Indian citizenship by registration or naturalisation is given under the Citizenship Act, 1955 to non-Muslim minorities from the three neighbouring countries are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra.

CAA: Opposition leaders term it “divisive law”; will not implement, says Kerala CM

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