'India is now home to followers of 6 non-Muslim faiths'

BJP working president J P Nadda said on Wednesday "India is home" now to people of six non-Muslim faiths who fled religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

He also attacked the Congress for opposing the new Citizenship Act.

"Should not they be given Indian citizenship? Where will they go? For them India is home now," Nadda said.

Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled to India from the three countries because of religious persecution are eligible for citizenship under the new law.

Nadda was addressing an election meeting at Sarath in Deoghar district.

"Why are Congress leaders having a stomach ache over the CAA?" the BJP leader asked.

Like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nadda challenged the Congress to publicly declare it will bring back Article 370 of the Constitution that bestowed special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Youth from Jharkhand are guarding the borders in Kashmir....after the abrogation of Article 370, altogether 106 central laws have come into force in Kashmir. I dare the Congress to declare publicly that it will bring back Article 370," he asserted.

The BJP leader said with the implementation of Prevention of Corruption Act in the newly created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh quite a few political leaders would go to jail. He, however, did not name anybody.

Nadda wondered when several Islamic countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, have banned instant Triple Talaq, why the Congress did not scrap the practice when it was in power and free Muslim women from the social scourge.

"It was because of its vote bank politics," he added.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the culture of politics...it now means service to people, development, and saving the country from destructive forces," Nadda said.

Sarath is going to poll in the fifth and final phase of state assembly elections on December 20.