Amit Shah sets 2024 deadline for NRC
JAMSHEDPUR: Union home minister and BJP national president Amit Shah on Monday asserted that the Modi government would throw out all infiltrators from the country before 2024.
Shah was addressing election rallies in Chakradharpur and Baheragora assembly constituencies. He also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for objecting to a nationwide citizens’ register and the expulsion of the “infiltrators”. “Shouldn’t infiltrators be booted out of this country and Jharkhand,” Shah asked at a meeting in Baharagora. “But Rahul baba objects to the national citizen register. He says don’t expel them. Where will they go, what will they eat,” Shah said. “I will come again to seek your votes in 2024 and I assure you that we shall evict each and every infiltrator before that,” he added.
JAMSHEDPUR: Union home minister and BJP national president Amit Shah on Monday asserted that the Modi government would throw out all infiltrators from the country before 2024.
Shah was addressing election rallies in Chakradharpur and Baheragora assembly constituencies, just ahead of a debate in Parliament on a bill to fast-track grant of Indian citizenship to members of religious minorities from Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Shah, back in Jharkhand to address election meetings for the second phase of Assembly polls to be held on December 7, also targeted Rahul Gandhi for objecting to a nationwide citizens’ register and the expulsion of the “infiltrators”.
“Shouldn’t infiltrators be booted out of this country and Jharkhand,” Shah asked at a meeting in Baharagora town of Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district. “But Rahul baba,” a derisive reference to the Congress leader who was also in the state to address an election meeting 300 km away, “objects to the national citizen register. He says don’t expel them. Where will they go, what will they eat,” Shah said.
“But let Rahul say what he wants. I will come again to seek your votes in 2024 and I assure you that we shall evict each and every infiltrator from the country before that,” added Amit Shah, who had started his speech by listing achievements of the Raghubar Das government in the state and the Modi government at the Centre.
Shah’s emphasis on rolling out the National Citizens’ Register (NRC) for the entire country comes amid a continuing backand-forth between his party and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over implementing the citizens’ list. AIMIM chief Asadudin Owaisi too opposed to the NRC and dared the government to bring NRC before Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) here on Saturday.
The government has already announced that Assam — the first state where the register was rolled out under the Supreme Court’s supervision — would go for a fresh list. It has insisted that the exercise was not aimed at people from minority communities such as Muslims as was being suggested by opposition leaders.
He said the national issues were so important in Jharkhand because people of Jharkhand love India, they want a secured India, they want to wipe out terrorism, they want to end Maoism and they want an impressive Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. “And all this is possible when you strengthen Narendra Modi’s hands. Please ensure victory of Gilua and Kunal,” said Shah.
“BJP national party also reiterated that our party has resolved in its manifesto to increase reservation for OBC without tampering with existing reservations for tribals and dalits as soon as our government is formed in the state. We have already formed a committee for the same and we will also give 33% reservation to women,” said Shah, daring Rahul Gandhi to
come with the account of Congress rule for over five decades.
Meanwhile, state Congress spokesperson Alok Kumar Dubey responded by saying that their party accepted Shah’s challenge for a debate over development in 55 years of Congress rule and five years of Modi government.
“In spite of entire central government coming to Jharkhand for election campaign, people of the state were putting their trust on alliance of Congress, JMM and RJD. BJP had nothing to do with Jharkhand separate state movement and none of the BJP leaders went to jail for this. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi had formed Jharkhand Matters Committee for separate state and Jharkhand Autonomous Council. Sonia Gandhi had Jharkhand separate state proposal passed from Bihar Assembly and Rajya Sabha,” said Dubey.