1. Amit Shah announces CAA implementation before Lok Sabha polls.
2. Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 to be enforced, says Shah.
3. Rules to be issued ahead of upcoming elections.
New Delhi, Feb 10: Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a significant declaration on Saturday, asserting that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) of 2019 would be enforced before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, following the issuance of the necessary rules.
Shah emphasized that the CAA was designed solely to provide citizenship to individuals who faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, debunking claims that it aimed to strip anyone of their Indian citizenship.
He lamented the misinformation and instigation of the Muslim community regarding the CAA.
Shah went on to express confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) electoral prospects, predicting a landslide victory with the BJP securing 370 seats and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) clinching over 400 seats in the upcoming polls, thus securing a third consecutive term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Asserting that there was no ambiguity regarding the election outcome, Shah suggested that even the Congress and other opposition parties had resigned themselves to the prospect of returning to the opposition benches.
He attributed this anticipated victory to the BJP’s decision to revoke Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that it resonated strongly with the electorate.
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Responding to inquiries about the possibility of other regional parties such as the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) joining the NDA, Shah hinted at potential expansions of the ruling coalition.
However, he stressed that the BJP endorsed family planning but not political alliances, implying that any partnerships would be carefully considered.
Shah underscored that the forthcoming elections would be a battle between development and mere rhetoric, dismissing the contest as not merely between the NDA and the opposition bloc but between progress and hollow promises.
Regarding Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Shah criticized the Congress leader, contending that his party’s historical responsibility for partitioning the country in 1947 undermined his legitimacy to lead such a campaign.
Responding to queries about the timing of a government-issued white paper in Parliament, Shah defended its necessity, arguing that the public needed to comprehend the legacy of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s mismanagement, contrasting it with the current administration’s achievements in reviving the economy and combating corruption.
Shah also addressed the contentious issues of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), expressing steadfast support for the construction of the temple at Lord Ram’s birthplace and advocating for a UCC on constitutional grounds, aligned with the vision of the country’s founding leaders.
