Huge rally in support of CAA

“Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is not against any Indian Muslim. It is only to grant citizenship to persecuted religious minorities of three neighbouring nations. The Muslims and minority people in India are not required to worry about this Act. I also appeal to our Muslim brothers not to fall prey to the rumours and misinformation campaign started by Congress in India,” said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday at Samvidhan Square while addressing a public meeting held after the culmination of a mega rally.

 

 

 

 

Thousands of citizens participated in the mega rally organised in support of the CAA by Lokadhikar Manch along with several organisations including the BJP. Gadkari alleged that Opposition parties had been creating false propaganda by instilling fear among minority sections for getting benefits in vote bank politics. Gadkari said, “There was no country named India before 1947. It was Akhand Bharat. The present countries like Afganisthan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc., were part of Akhand Bharat. In 1947, Pakistan was created by Mohammad Ali Jinnah and he declared it as an Islamic state. India was not termed as Hindu Rashtra after Independence. After the partition, thousands of Hindu, Sikh, Bouddha, Jain community people came to India, and India had termed them as ‘refugees’. Prior to Independence, people from different communities were living peacefully in Akhand Bharat. There are 150 countries in the world which have declared themselves as Islamic countries, but there is no nation for Hindu, Sikh, Bouddha, Jain, Parsi people. CAA supports these minority people from other countries.”

 

 

The act grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. Gadkari claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had said that when minorities in neighbouring countries would be persecuted, they can come to India. He also said that it was Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar who coined the term refugees and that he elaborated on their rights. Muslims have 100-150 nations to go as a refugee because there many Islamic nations, but there are no countries for Sikhs or Hindus to go if they are persecuted, he added.

 

 

Gadkari also said that people were spreading false theories about Hindutva. According to Supreme Court, Hindutva

actually means a way of life and it is the identity of India’s culture, he added. Thousands of citizens supporting Government on CAA started gathering at Yashwant Stadium on Sunday morning. The rally of citizens holding tricolours in hands started approaching towards Samvidhan Square. Former Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis garlanded the statue of Jhansi Rani at Jhansi Rani Square in Sitabuldi and paid tributes to her. Thousands of citizens were holding plaques in support of Government for CAA. Thousands of BJP supporters and various other social organisations joined the rally, and many were seen waving the national flag. Many persons were raising slogans hailing the new citizenship law and showing posters of ‘Nagpur welcomes CAA’. The rally started from Yashwant Stadium and ended at Samvidhan Chowk.

 

 

 

Lokadhikar Manch convenor Govind Shende made introductory remarks. He alleged Congress and other parties for ‘spreading misconceptions’ about the Act. Govind Dev Giri Maharaj termed the act as a step towards Akhand Bharat. He criticised the Congress and other parties for provoking common people to destroy the public properties. Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi to taking a courageous step, Maharaj expressed the need to bring stringent law and order to punish the people for destruction of public properties. Government should make internal security very strong so that no one could even imagine to destroy its property, he added.

 

Chief of Rashtra Sevika Samiti, Shantakka; Jitendranath Maharaj, MP Vikas Mahatme, former Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, former MLA Dr Milind Mane, former MLA Sudhakar Kohale; former MLA Sudhakar Deshmukh; MLA Tekchand Savarkar, Mayor Sandeep Joshi, Subhash Pardhi, Manisha Kothekar, Upendra Kothekar, MLC Anil Sole, MLC Girish Vyas, MLC Nago Ganar, Sandeep Jadhav also shared dais.