BJP Leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya, Mukul Roy Detained At Pro-CAA Rally In Kolkata

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary in-charge of West Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya and party leader Mukul Roy were detained on Friday when they tried to take out a pro-Citizenship Amendment Act rally in south Kolkata. According to reports, the leaders were detained at the start point of BJP's rally in Tollygunge Phari. The route of the proposed rally was from Tollygunge Phanri to Hazra More. Police said the leaders were detained because the party had no permission to take out the rally on the proposed route.

CAA is the latest political flashpoint between Trinamool Congress and BJP in West Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is one of the most vocal critics of the amended Citizenship Act and has been opposing it tooth and nail.

Kolkata: Police detains BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya at the start point of BJP's rally in Tollygunge Phari supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act. pic.twitter.com/NVEU9f1TCp

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Earlier, as part of its outreach campaign to ‘educate’ people over the CAA-NRC issue, BJP president JP Nadda took a rally in Kolkata. Apart from Nadda, other prominent faces in the rally were Kailash Vijavargiya, Dilip Ghosh and Roopa Ganguly.

Citizenship does not take citizenship away: Nadda

Addressing the rally in Kolkata, Nadda said the amended law grants citizenship, does not take it away, as claimed by a section of people.

"It is unfortunate that Mamata Banerjee has always given priority to her politics over national interests. The TMC and other opposition parties are misleading people on the amended law. They are only bothered about securing vote banks," he said.

The senior BJP leader claimed that "Muslims have flourished in our country, but Hindus have suffered tortured in Pakistan".

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Pakistan is among the three countries from where non- Muslim minorities would be granted citizenship, if they meet the criteria, according to the amended law.