CAA stir: Modi dares Congress to say it's ready to accord Indian citizenship to all Pakistanis
Bhognadih (Jharkhand), Dec 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused the "Congress and its friends" of spreading lies over the new citizenship law, and dared them to declare they will accord Indian nationality to all Pakistanis.
He also challenged them to re-introduce Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir and scrap the law against instant Triple Talaq.
As campuses across the country erupted in protests over police action at Jamia Millia Islamia, the prime minister asked students to try and see whether they were not being made accomplices in a "conspiracy" where "urban Naxals" and others were using their "shoulders to fire" to serve their interests.
Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand, Modi sought to assuage concerns of Indians apprehensive about getting stripped of their citizenship.
"Congress is spreading lies, creating an atmosphere of fear for Muslims over the new law. Citizenship (Amendment) Act neither takes away the rights of Indian citizens nor harms them in any manner," he told an election rally here.
The prime minister asked his political opponents to stop "dirty politics" and not to destroy the country's social fabric.
"I give an open challenge to Congress and its friends from this land of the brave...If they have courage, let them openly announce that they are ready to give Indian citizenship to all Pakistanis.
"If they (the opposition) have courage, they should announce article 370 will be restored in Jammu and Kashmir...
Triple Talaq will be back," he said.
The prime minister alleged it was because of the "vote bank politics" of the Congress that "lakhs of infiltrators" had made India their home.
Modi sought to reach out to the agitating students, saying his government was open to debate and was permissive of democratic protests if it has done any wrong.
He said the citizenship law was enacted for religious minorities of three nations--Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan--who fled their countries because of religious persecution.
"It's for people who have fled three countries due to atrocities on account of their religious faith. It's for those who are living in miserable conditions and cannot go back," he said.
Modi said he wanted to know how the new citizenship law had encroached upon the rights of Indian Muslims, or for that matter, any citizen of the country.
The prime minister said the Congress-led opposition was unable to shed its "hatred of Modi".
Modi credited his government for paving the way for construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya and accused the Congress of having created obstacles to thwart attempts at resolution of the vexed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.
"Was there any tension? Was there any riot? Was not the issue resolved peacefully?" he asked the indulgent audience which roared in approval.
"Their stomach aches when I resolve things peacefully," the prime minister said.
He said the Constitution prepared by B R Ambedkar was the "only holy scripture" for his government.
He also enumerated several welfare schemes taken up by the "double-engine" BJP governments at the Centre and in Jharkhand for the state's welfare.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
He's crazy person: Himanta on Rahul alleging Assam CM misused state power to harass opponents
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma threw a "crazy person" barb at Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday after the Congress leader accused him of "abusing state power to harass his political opponents and critics".
Sarma, who arrived at the airport here before proceeding to Puri to pray at the Jagannath Temple, challenged Gandhi to make his passport details public and reveal which countries the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha had visited.
His scathing remarks came after Gandhi termed Sarma "most corrupt in the country" and said the Congress stood with Pawan Khera, who has alleged that the Assam CM's wife has multiple passports and offshore properties, which were not declared in the chief minister's election affidavit.
The Sarmas have rejected the allegations as false.
In a post on X, Gandhi alleged, "The present CM of Assam is the most corrupt in the country. He will not escape the law. His abuse of state power to harass his political opponents and critics is against the Constitution."
"The questions that are being raised have to be probed. Transparency, accountability of power and the rule of law are the basis of our Constitutional values. The Congress stands with Pawan Khera. We will not be intimidated," he has said.
Responding to reporters' questions over Gandhi's remarks, Sarma said, "Let me make it very clear, neither I nor any member of my family has a golden visa, as alleged. Rahul Gandhi is a crazy person."
"I challenge Rahu Gandhi to present his passport in front of the media, and I will bring mine and those of my family members. Let the media know who is visiting which country," Sarma said.
The Assam chief minister also said that Rahul Gandhi "is not God". "If I make allegations against him, will he be ready for a probe into those? He should know that others, too, have the right to ask him questions."
Asked about the Supreme Court staying the Telangana High Court's order granting Kehra one-week transit anticipatory bail in the case registered for levelling allegations against Sarma's wife, the BJP leader said he was not aware of it.
"However, according to me, the Telangana High Court cannot grant transit bail to Khera as he is not a resident of that state. The law will take its own course," Sarma said.
The senior BJP leader said he would join his party's election campaign in West Bengal from Thursday.
Later, in a post on X, he said, "On Assamese New Year, offered my prayers to Mahaprabhu Jagannath for Assam's continued peace and progress." Along with the post, he also shared a video of his visit to the temple.
