Andhra Pradesh unit of BJP has stepped up its campaign to inform the people that the recent central government legislation Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) are not anti-Muslims in India but to protect the religious minorities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on all his soldiers in the country to inform the people through meetings or closed-door interactions or seminars to inform the people on CAA and NRC. It is not about religion, and not discriminating the Muslims in India. The bill is simple. It grants religious minorities in neighbouring countries such as Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and others who are living in Muslim-majority countries,” said Dileep Kilaru, BJP spokesperson in Andhra Pradesh and convenor of the party in Vijaywada parliamentary constituency.
Dileep Kilaru said Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan are Muslim majority countries whose Muslims may not face religious discrimination unlike other religious communities. He said, the legislative measures also includes granting citizenship to Muslims in those countries who have come to India for a livelihood as a result of religious discrimination but conditions apply. The Amendment benefits Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians, and Parsi refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who have had sought refuge in India before 2015 but leaves out Muslims and others from these countries, and refugees from other countries, who will remain illegal foreigners such as Tamil Hindu refugees from Sri Lanka, Rohingya Muslims and Hindu refugees from Myanmar (Burma) and Buddhist refugees from Tibet (China). Dileep Kilaru has conducted workshops and seminars in the seven Assembly constituencies of Vijaywada parliamentary constituency in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. He addressed students at Gandhi Institute of Technology and Mandava Engineering College.
The AP BJP has assigned targets to their active party members and workers to take the message of the central government in the backdrop of anti-government protests and rallies in different parts of India. Dileep Kilaru said India is a secular country but its neighbouring countries are not. How it is anti-Muslim, how is it discriminatory, he asked about the CAA. “It is not anti-Muslim because it is for the 6 religious minorities who are facing religious atrocities. It is only to protect those religions in those Muslim countries.” He said those religious minorities including Hindus should be protected, and also emphasized that the CAA will eliminate illegal residents in India.
