Despite protests, CAA will not be withdrawn: Amit Shah

LUCKNOW: Attacking the opposition for "misleading" people on the Citizenship Amendment Act, Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the law will not be scrapped despite the protests over it.

Addressing a rally here in support of the CAA, Shah also declared that construction of a Ram temple "touching the skies" in Ayodhya will begin within three months.

He said there is no provision in the amended law for taking anyone's citizenship away. "A canard is being spread against the CAA by the Congress, SP, BSP, and Trinamool Congress."

"The CAA is a law to grant citizenship," he added.

"I want to say that irrespective of the protests this will not be withdrawn," he added.

Shah challenged Congress and other opposition leaders to hold a discussion with him on the CAA at a public forum.

He named Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee while throwing the "challenge".

"Congress has become blind due to vote bank politics," he said. He also blamed the Congress for partition.

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014.