BJP, Congress trade charges over Citizenship Act

The ruling BJP at the Centre is attacking fundamental values of the country, TPCC president and MP Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Sunday while his BJP counterpart K Laxman slammed the Congress for what he called appeasement politics.

"The Congress party is against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). BJP is attacking the fundamental values of this country and they are trying to destroy it, Reddy said at a protest here against the CAA.

Many senior Congress leaders and cadre held placards that read We are a secular nation. Down with CAA. With the NDA government's policies as many as four crore people may lose citizenship, he alleged.

Congress party condemns the excessive use of police force against protesting students and citizens, he said.

On the other hand, state BJP president Laxman, in a social media interaction, said the Indian Muslims are 'safe and secure' with the CAA as the Constitution guarantees all rights and the Narendra Modi-led government would implement them. "They (some political parties) have demanded (the citizenship laws) earlier. They have sympathised with refugees, but now we do not know why some of the political parties are opposing the law now. It is nothing but appeasement politics to divide society in the name of religion, he said.

The BJP leader clarified that the CAA is not against any Indian Muslim or India-born citizen.

He alleged that the TRS opposed the CAA at the behest of Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM party.