NRC does not target Muslims: Union Home Minster Amit Shah

New Delhi: The Union Home Minister Amit Shah said BJP does not see India as a Hindu Rashtra, speaking to the media.

He said that, "BJP follows the Indian Constitution in letter and spirit. The country and government can have only one religion - Constitution."

When questioned about the people feeling fearful in their own country, Amit Shah stated, "No citizen of this country has anything to fear. We will make special arrangements for minorities. Those who've illegally migrated to India will have to go. They should accept it on their own that they made a mistake."

Speaking about opposition party Congress, Shah said they have been politicizing the country, "Congress didn't deal with the country's problems. This is Modi's government. We are not here only to run the government, but to resolve the country's problems. We aren't here to do politics. We could've sat down for 5 years. If I was doing politics, I'd have done this (CAA) in 2023. Congress accepted partition and is now indulging in vote bank politics. How is Congress questioning us on law formulated by them? Was the law formed to put in a showcase? Congress brought the NRC and now we are communal." said Shah.

Amit Shah said, the National Register Citizenship(NRC) does not target Muslims and CAA has been implemented to evict infiltrators.

"In 1950, Nehru and Liaquat Khan decided that they will protect their respective minorities. Today, there are 3% Hindus in Pakistan. Where did they go? Either they've been forcibly converted or they took refuge here. Congress let them feel isolated for the last 70 years. Narendra Modi is finally giving them respect," Amit Shah said.

Citizenship Amendment Act:

The amended citizenship act was passed by both houses of the Parliament and given assent by the President last week.

As per the Act, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who had come to India before Dec 31, 2014, from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan because of religious persecution will not be treated as illegal immigrants and be given Indian citizenship with relaxed rules.

The Act gives provision for non-Muslim refugees to be given Indian citizenship after their stay in India for five years, instead of the earlier requirement of 11 years. Muslim refugees, however, need to wait for 11 years unlike their counterparts from other faiths to gain citizenship in India.

The act also proposes to give immunity to such refugees facing cases as illegal immigrants.

According to the legislation, it will not be applicable to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and in the areas covered under the Inner Line Permit, notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.