India’s amended citizenship law has upset Pakistan, whose Prime Minister Imran Khan accused New Delhi of discriminating against Muslims. The central government as well as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have rubbished such allegations in the past, saying the law has nothing to do with Indian Muslims. Now, a party legislator from Uttar Pradesh’s Kahtuali has advised Pakistan to come up with legislation if it cares so much for persecuted Muslims in India.
BJP MLA from UP Vikram Saini today said: “Pakistan should also make such a law (CAA) and give citizenship to Muslims persecuted in India. Do an exchange. People who are persecuted there (Pakistan) should come to India and those who are oppressed here (India) should go to Pakistan. Who is stopping them?” The amended citizenship law makes people from six minority communities who have come from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014 eligible for Indian citizenship.
#Watch Khatauli BJP MLA Vikram Saini says,”Pak ko bhi aisa kanoon banana chahiye jo muslim yahan par pidit hain unko Pak me nagarikta deni chahiye, adla badli kar lo,jo vahan pidit hain voh Hindustan aa jane chahiye, jo yahan pidit hain vo Pak chale jayen kaun rok raha hai.” #CAA pic.twitter.com/P40QGsoD4L
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 10, 2020
A section of people here in India called it discriminatory as it does not include Muslims. The government, however, has justified the move saying all three neighbors are Muslim-dominated and it is unlikely that Muslims will be persecuted there for their religious beliefs. It said that minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis face persecution for their religious beliefs.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan too had attacked India and said that the amended Citizenship Act exposed the actual agenda of the BJP-led government. He said that the world was ‘witnessing a fascist, racist government’ in India.
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the opposition parties to expose Pakistan for its poor treatment of minority communities. “Those who are protesting against the Parliament, I want to tell them that the need was to expose Pakistan’s deeds on the world stage. If you want to protest, protest and raise your voice against Pakistan’s deeds for the last 70 years,” he had said.