CAB passage 1,000% correct: PM

Dumka (Jharkhand), Dec 15

Accusing the Congress and allies of fuelling violence over the amended Citizenship Act, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the Opposition's actions prove that the decision to pass the Bill was “1,000 per cent correct”, and those indulging in arson “can be identified by their clothes”.

“The Congress and its allies are stoking fire over the Citizenship Act, but people of North-East have rejected violence,” he said during an election rally here.

“The country is watching; people's faith has been cemented in Modi after the Bill was cleared by Parliament. Their (Opposition) actions reflect that the decision to pass Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament is 1,000 per cent correct,” the PM said.

Protests have been raging against the law in the North-East and West Bengal, where several railway stations, trains and buses were set afire by mobs over the past two days.

“People who are setting fire (to property) can be seen on TV.... They can be identified by the clothes they are wearing,” he said without elaborating. Condemning the overseas protests held by the Congress, he said: “For the first time, the Congress did what Pakistanis have been doing for long.”

A large number of people had gathered outside the Indian High Commission in London yesterday to protest the amended Act and what they branded as Modi government's “failures”.

“You will be surprised at the events that had unfolded near the Indian High Commission in London after the verdict was announced on Ram temple and the abrogation of Article 370. People from Pakistan, those settled in London, had staged demonstrations outside our embassy,” he said.

“Did any Indian stage demonstration near the embassy? If there is any issue, a person goes to the embassy, meets the officials, who then send the documents to the Central Government,” Modi explained. Efforts were being made to tarnish the country's image, he alleged.

Protests had been raging across the North-East region and West

Bengal over the amended Citizenship Act, as people fear it might exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, the BJP has announced a nationwide campaign to spread awareness about the legislation and asserted it is not discriminatory against Muslims or any other community. — PTI

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