States rejecting CAA is a 'constitutional blunder': Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that states with non-BJP governments passing resolutions against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) were committing a ‘constitutional blunder’.

“As CAA, passed by the Parliament, is a central Act the states cannot adopt resolutions against the implementation of the new citizenship law. I appeal to the non-BJP governments not to take such wrong decision as it is a big offence,” he stressed while addressing a massive rally in support of the CAA at Gold Finch City grounds.

Singh also questioned those opposing the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). He stressed that they were mooted much before the BJP government, and the Congress had plans to implement them in 2010. “But should a country not know its population,” he asked the crowd.

Allays fears of Muslims

He allayed fears of Muslims and said nobody can dare touch any India Muslim. “I will assure you that if anyone has any complaint they can come to us. We will stand with the Muslim citizen,” the minister said while dismissing apprehensions that the community will be targeted if NPR and NRC are
implemented.

“This is a secular country. All welfare schemes, including Pradhan Manthri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana are being implemented without any discrimination on caste or religion grounds. India is the only country with as many as 72 sects of Muslims,” he said.

Vipaksha Dharma

Rajnath Singh urged opposition parties to follow both ‘Vipaksha Dharma’ and ‘Rashtra Dharma’.

The Union minister said religious minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh were living a “life of misery” and India had fulfilled its ‘moral duty’ by enacting the CAA.

Mahatma Gandhi had directed then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on implementing such Act. The Congress Working Committee also had passed a similar resolution on November 25, 1947, he added.

“Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had argued that Indian government should be sensitive towards minorities of neighbouring countries if they face religious persecution,” 
the Union defence minister recollected.