Opposition creating confusion on CAA among Muslims out of 'malice': Yediyurappa
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday challenged opposition leaders to prove that the Citizenship Amendment Act will have its ill-effects on the Muslim community, as he accused them ofattempting to create confusion out of "malice."
"There will not be any ill-effects on our Muslim brothers of the country because of the Citizenship Amendment Act. During Jawarharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi's (former PMs from Congress party) time also there was consensus on it," Yediyurappa said.
He said out of malice an attempt is being made to create confusion among Muslim brethren and that is the reason the BJP had decided to conduct door-to-door campaignsin favour of the CAA.
The party has plans to reach out to three crore people across the country and 30 lakh houses in the state, he added. Amid growing opposition and protests, the BJP on Friday had announced that it will be launching a mega door- to-door campaign in favour of CAA across the country on January 5.
Reiterating that the act will in no way affect Indian Muslims, Yediyurappa challenged opposition leaders to prove to the people of the country that the law will affect the community.
"We will also be visiting places where Muslim community resides in large numbers and try to create awareness among everyone. We don't have any difference towards Hindu, Muslim or Christian, we will inform facts to everyone, he added.
Several BJP leaders including Union Minister D V Sadanada Gowda, Deputy Chief Ministers C N Ashwathnarayan and Laxman Savadi, Minister Suresh Kumar held similar door-to-door campaigns at various places.
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
