Citizenship Law, NRC Have Nothing To Do With Indian Muslims: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused his rivals of stoking fears among people and misleading Muslims over the amended citizenship law, and asserted that his government’s schemes have never done any discrimination on the basis of religion.

Addressing a rally at Ramlila Maidan here, he said the citizenship law and the proposed National Register of Citizens have nothing to do with Indian Muslims. "Muslims being misled, I have always ensured that documents will never come in way of development schemes and their beneficiaries," said PM Modi.

A lie is being spread that this government had brought the law to snatch people’s rights, the prime minister said and dared rivals to find anything discriminatory in his work.

Unable to challenge him in elections, PM Modi asserted, his rivals have resorted to dividing the country through rumours.

The prime minister also asked people at Delhi rally to stand up to show respect for Parliament and lawmakers who passed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The venue where PM Modi is speaking is over a kilometre away from Old Delhi's Daryaganj that was hit by violence on Friday.

Accusing political parties of spreading rumours over the new law, PM Modi said, “Some political parties are spreading rumours, they're misleading people & inciting them. I want to ask them, when we authorised the unauthorised colonies, did we ask anyone their religion? Did we ask which political party they support? Did we ask for documents from 1970, 1980?”

Retreating his slogan of 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas', the prime minister said, “Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians all were benefitted by Central schemes, everyone who lives here was benefitted. Why did we do this? Because we live for the love of the country.”

PM Modi launched BJP’s campaign for the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls by addressing a rally at Ramlila Maidan, which was attended by residents of unauthorised colonies.

Earlier this month, Parliament passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019, to grant ownership rights to residents of Delhi’s unauthorised colonies.