States can’t refuse implementing Citizenship Act: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

HYDERABAD: Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday made it clear that the Central government would not be making any changes to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and scoffed off any scope of a state government not implementing the legislation in their states.

Naqvi, who was speaking to the media on the sidelines of an event, directed his statement towards the Opposition and said that there is no rethinking on CAA. “Any law that has been passed by the Parliament should be accepted by every State. West Bengal is part of the nation and (WB CM) Mamata Banerjee should read history and gain some knowledge on the Constitution,” he said.

His comments come after Banerjee met PM Modi on Saturday. She told him that the WB government was against the CAA, NRC and NPR. Moreover, she requested him to withdraw CAA. He also termed the opposition to the Citizenship Act as a “horror show” and said it was perpetrated by people who have been given a “supari” to mislead people.

“Those who are misleading any section of the society on the CAA are enemies of the country’s unity and harmony. They are the biggest enemies of the nation’s minorities and Muslims… they are working as part of a conspiracy. This horror show has to stop,” he said.

Directing his statements towards Muslims, Naqvi said, “I want to assure Indian Muslims that their socio-economic, religious, constitutional rights and also those of every Indian are safe and secure…Not a single Indian citizen will be affected by the CAA.”

Naqvi said that a political “game of snakes and ladders” on the CAA was being played. “Unfortunately, a gang involved in spreading rumours and misinformation has been trying to gain political mileage on the CAA issue by misleading a large section of society which has now totally failed,” he said.

On the ongoing protests, the Union minister said, “I feel our students and youths are not anti-national. If some vested interests are able to mislead them, then it is our duty and responsibility to expose them and also to give the correct position (of CAA) that we have been doing. The confusion and the conspiracy are now getting reduced.” He said that the government was reaching out through seminars and awareness programmes.