Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated on Saturday that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), enacted in 2019, will be implemented before the Lok Sabha elections this year, following the issuance of the necessary rules. Addressing the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2024, Shah clarified that the CAA aims to grant citizenship to individuals who have faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and not to revoke anyone’s Indian citizenship.
Shah also expressed confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) electoral prospects, predicting that the party would secure 370 seats and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would surpass 400 seats in the upcoming polls, enabling them to form the government for a third consecutive term under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasized that there is no suspense regarding the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, and even the Congress and other opposition parties have acknowledged that they will once again occupy the opposition benches.
Highlighting the BJP’s achievements, Shah mentioned the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and expressed belief that the people of the country would reward the BJP with 370 seats and the NDA with over 400 seats. When asked about the possibility of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and other regional parties joining the NDA, Shah indicated that more parties may join the ruling coalition, stating that the BJP believes in family planning but not in politics.
Regarding the upcoming polls, Shah characterized them as a choice between development and mere slogans, rather than a contest between the NDA and the opposition bloc. He criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, asserting that Gandhi had no right to lead such a march, as his party was responsible for India’s partition in 1947.
Responding to queries about the timing of a white paper presented by the government in Parliament, Shah explained that it was necessary for the country to understand the challenges left behind by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government when it lost power in 2014. He highlighted the economic difficulties, widespread corruption, and lack of foreign investment that prevailed at that time. Shah emphasized that the current government has revived the economy, attracted foreign investment, and eradicated corruption, making it the right time to publish the white paper.
Lastly, on the topic of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Shah acknowledged that the people of the country had long believed that the temple should be constructed at the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sentiment that had persisted for 500-550 years.
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In conclusion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed various issues, including the implementation of the CAA, the BJP’s electoral prospects, the possibility of more parties joining the NDA, the choice between development and slogans in the upcoming polls, the timing of the white paper, and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
