CAA is all about giving citizenships..., BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad slams Mamata Banerjee

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for indulging in "vote bank politics" and asserted that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is all about giving "citizenship" to those who are persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that it is the government's duty to protect them.

"CAA is all about giving citizenship to those who are persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. We shouldn't forget that these three nations are Islamic Republics. Those who left their countries and are here in India to save their life, it's our culture and duty to protect them," a BJP MP said.

He further questioned the West Bengal Chief Minister for providing shelter to Rohingyas but not for those people who have been in the country for years.

"People like Mamata Banerjee provide shelter to Rohingyas and want refugee status for them and not for those who have been here for years. This isn't good, it's a vote bank politics," he added.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took on opposition leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and Mamata Banerjee for their claims that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was anti-Muslim and said that the law can't be seen in isolation as it carries a history with itself.

Speaking to ANI, Amit Shah also questioned West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for alleging that the citizenship of minorities would be taken away due to the CAA.

"I am requesting Mamata ji, that there are several platforms to do politics, but please don't harm Bengali Hindus coming from Bangaldesh. I challenge Mamata publically to tell one such clause that has the provision of taking away citizenship of any Indian. Her intention is to create differences between Hindus and Muslims to consolidate the vote bank. CAA has to be done. If she wants to do anything stop infiltration, but she is not cooperating" Amit Shah said.

On March 11, the Union Home Ministry notified rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled.

CAA aims to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians - who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.