CAA concerns all Indians, not just Muslims: Owaisi

Hyderabad: The fight against the new citizenship law is "not just the issue of Muslims" but concerns all Indians and there should be a sustained struggle against the legislation, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has claimed.

"Why should I stand in queue and tell that I am an Indian? I have been born on this land. I am a citizen (of India). All 100 crore Indians have to stand in a queue (to submit proof of citizenship).

This is not just the issue of Muslims but an issue concerning all Indians. I am telling 'Modi-bhakts' also. You also have to stand in queue and bring documents," the Hyderabad MP said.

At a meeting organised by the United Muslim Action Committee, an umbrella body of various Muslim groups at Darussalam, the headquarters of AIMIM in the city, Owaisi asserted that Indian Muslims had chosen to remain in India at the time of partition by rejecting "Jinnah's two-nation theory".

Claiming that the BJP cited the existence of many Islamic nations, he asked what does he have to do with them. "I am concerned about India and only India and my love is only with India. (You say) so many Islamic countries! You go there. Why are you telling me," he said.

He urged Prime Minister Modi to remove the word religion from religious minorities while granting citizenship to refugees under CAA. It is wrong to make laws on the basis of religion, he claimed.

Congress' Tariq Anwar backs Owaisi's 'tricolour' remark

New Delhi: Congress leader Tariq Anwar backed AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's 'tri-colour' remark and said, "It is good to fly tricolour outside our houses to mark the protest."

He was also of the view "the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) have created an atmosphere of fear from the past few days."

The AIMIM chief urged the people who are against CAA, and NRC to fly the tricolour outside their houses to send across a message to the BJP on the "black law".