Opposition indulging in vote bank politics over NRC: Amit Shah
New Delhi, July 31: The BJP on Tuesday said the National Register of Citizens (NRC), whose draft was released in Assam on Monday, is a matter of national security for the party and accused the opposition of indulging in vote bank politics.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah said the security of the country and its people is the top most priority and dared other parties to clear their stand on Bangladeshi infiltrators.
Addressing a press conference, BJP chief Amit Shah said: "For BJP the matter of NRC is an issue of national security. Our top priority is to safeguard our borders."
He also said that no Indian has been left out of the list. "Those who were not able to prove their citizenship have been left out of the first list," he said.
Reminding the Congress that the NRC was their idea, he said, "The Assam Accord was signed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on August 14, 1984. I want to ask the Congress: how can you raise questions about the NRC today?" Shah questioned.
Attacking the opposition parties for creating confusion over the first list of the NRC, Shah said, "Congress, Trinamool Congress and other parties who are speaking against NRC Assam should clear their stand on Bangladeshi infiltrators."
The BJP leader, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, said the entire process of the NRC was done under the supervision of the Supreme Court and the most transparent process was used to prepare the list.
Slamming the Congress, for not completing the NRC, Shah said, "You didn't have the guts to prepare the list and send back the infiltrators."
"For vote bank politics, how can you question the NRC procedures?" he asked.
He also said that the Congress is known for changing its stand on political issues. "We ask Congress to clear their stand and not indulge in vote bank politics," Shah said.
He said that no country can function if it keeps on allowing infiltrators. "BJP will implement the NRC Assam under the supervision of Supreme Court," he said.
Clarifying that 40 lakh people whose names were not there in the draft NRC were suspected foreigners, he said: "They will have the opportunity to prove their citizenship."
Shah said that the opposition parties are talking about human rights violations of foreigners. "Don't they care about the human rights of the citizens of the country? Isn't it the violation of human rights for the people of Assam, isn't it a violation of national security?" he asked.
"NRC has been brought to protect human rights of all citizens," he said.
Slamming the opposition parties for doing vote bank politics, Shah said, "Vote bank politics should not be placed above national interest. We have never practised vote bank politics. We have always demanded removal of illegal immigrants."
He also accused the opposition parties of trying to portray the BJP as a party trying to divide the country. "But I would like to remind them that Assam Accord was signed by Rajiv Gandhi," he said.
Criticising the TMC Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the BJP Chief said: "This is a sensitive issue. Mamata Banerjee is raking it up for vote bank politics."
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Cong cites Kangana's purported remarks to accuse BJP of wanting to bring back repealed farm laws
New Delhi, Sep 24: The Congress on Tuesday cited BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's purported remarks on farm laws to allege that the ruling party was making efforts to bring back the three laws that were repealed in 2021, and asserted that Haryana will give a befitting reply to it.
The Congress shared on X an undated video of Ranaut in which she is purportedly saying in Hindi, "Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers' interest be brought back. Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity.
"Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress. Only in some states, they had objected to farm laws. I appeal with folded hands that farm laws should be brought back in the interest of farmers."
In a post in Hindi along with the video, the Congress said, "The three black laws imposed on farmers should be brought back: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has said this. More than 750 farmers of the country were martyred, only then did the Modi government wake up and these black laws were withdrawn."
Now BJP MPs are planning to bring back these laws, the Congress alleged.
"The Congress is with the farmers. These black laws will never return, no matter how hard Narendra Modi and his MPs try," the opposition party said on X.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also shared the video of Ranaut on X and said, "'All three farm laws should be brought back': BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. More than 750 farmers were martyred while protesting against the three black farmer laws. Efforts are being made to bring them back."
"We will never let that happen. Haryana will answer first," she said in an apparent reference to the assembly polls in Haryana.
Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also shared the video on X and said it was the BJP's "real thinking".
"How many times will you deceive the farmers, you two-faced people?" Khera said in a post in Hindi.
The three laws -- Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act -- were repealed in November 2021.
The farmers' protest started at the fag-end of November 2020 and ended after Parliament repealed the three laws. The legislations came into force in June 2020 and were repealed in November 2021.
“तीनों किसान क़ानून वापस लाये जाने चाहिए” : BJP MP कंगना रनौत
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 24, 2024
जिन तीन काले किसान विरोधी क़ानूनों की मुख़ालिफ़त करते 750 से ज़्यादा किसान शहीद हो गए
उनको दोबारा से लाने की कोशिश की जा रही है. हम ऐसा कभी नहीं होने देंगे
सबसे पहला जवाब हरियाणा देगा pic.twitter.com/kRAkRuE2cc
