Come what may, no rollback of CAA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Amid the raging nationwide protests against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday categorically ruled out any rethink on the same and instead challenged the opposition for a debate on the issue.

''Main aaj danke ki chot pe kehta hoon ki jisko jitna virodh karna hai kare lekin CAA wapas nahin hoga'' (I say it openly....those, who oppose the CAA may try anything....it will not be withdrawn), Shah said while addressing a BJP rally here in support of the Act.

Training guns on the opposition leaders, including former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the union minister said that they were in the habit of opposing anything, which was in the interest of the country.

''Thousands of people were killed in the name of religion at the time of the division of the country....the minorities faced persecution in Pakistan....many were killed while many others were forcibly converted...the opposition do not see the persecution of the minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh,'' he said.

He challenged the opposition parties to debate on the CAA. ''Let them debate the issue with us....we will expose them,'' Shah said claiming that even Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru had advocated granting of citizenship to the Hindus, who wanted to come to India from Pakistan.

The union minister also gave a veiled warning to those protesting against the CAA saying that the government would not tolerate ''anti-India slogans'' under any circumstances.

''Anti-India slogans are being raised at CAA protests...BJP governments are sending such people to jail,'' he added.

Shah also accused the Congress of delaying the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. ''Modiji (PM) will ensure Ram Temple construction in three months,'' he remarked.

The minister also claimed that normalcy was returning fast in Jammu & Kashmir following the abrogation of Art 370.