CAA does not take away citizenship of any minority, says Shah

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], Feb 28 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that citizenship of any member of Muslim or any member of minority community will not be impacted by the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and asserted that the law gives citizenship and does not take it away.
"BSP, SP, Communist, Congress and Mamata are against the CAA because they say minorities will lose their citizenship. Why do they speak so many lies? I repeat that citizenship of any Muslim or minority (community member) will not be taken away through CAA, because it is an Act to give citizenship and not to take it away," Shah said speaking at a public meeting here.
"The Opposition is spreading rumours, provoking people and instigating riots," he said. These were Shah's first public remarks since violence erupted in northeast Delhi claiming 42 lives so far. There have been protests against the CAA in the national capital.
He targeted Congress and alleged that the party sought to delay Ayodhya verdict.
"Congress used to dodge the question of Ram temple in the Supreme Court. Modiji opened gates for construction of Ram temple by setting up a trust. In some time, a grand Ram temple will be constructed at the place where the Lord was born."
The minister said that the Congress government allocated Rs 79,000 to Odisha in the 13th Finance commission and the NDA government allocated over Rs 2 lakh crore to Odisha in 14th Finance Commission. "We will try to develop Odisha like Gujarat," he said.
Shah said that district mineral foundations have been established so that tribals get their due in the wealth generated by mineral exploration.
He said that 47.5 lakh gas cylinders distributed under the Ujjwala scheme and 20,000 villages have been electrified in Odisha.
Shah said that every household shall have drinking water through tap connections by 2024.
"Modi government has decided to make India $5 trillion economy before 2024. During Congress rule, we were on 11th position. We become the world's 5th largest economy in just 6 years. This is testament to the leadership of Narendra Modi ji," he said.
Shah highlighted BJP's improved performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Odisha and said: "I came to Odisha after Lok Sabha elections. I want to thank people that they have given eight seats to BJP. Instead of 21 per cent share in the previous election, BJP got 38.4 votes in 2019. We got 91 lakh votes and Naveen babu got 1.1 crore vote. We only have to make one jump to form BJP government in Odisha."
"For the first time, the Congress party came down from the status of main opposition party and our BJP worker has today become the voice of the people of Odisha, sitting in the Assembly as the Leader of the Opposition," he said.
"In Assembly, we are moving ahead. We have taken a lead in 14,000 booths out of 37,000. Modi government has opened gates of development in every sector in Odisha," he added. (ANI)