‘This law is to trouble Muslims’: Asaduddin Owaisi after Amit Shah calls for implementation of CAA before 2024 Lok Sabha elections

A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be implemented before Lok Sabha elections this year, Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), has voiced his strong opposition, labeling the law as discriminatory and religion-based. 

Owaisi's contention is that while the CAA purports to offer citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighboring countries, it does so selectively, excluding Muslims and thus, in his view, undermining the secular fabric of India.

"This law is based on religion. We were never against the return (to India) of Hindus, Sikhs, and others who are living in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh. But one cannot see the CAA alone; there are NPR and NRC. This law is to trouble Muslims, Dalits, and poor citizens of different communities," he said.

Owaisi has been vocal about his concerns that the CAA cannot be viewed in isolation but must be considered alongside the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which he believes could disproportionately affect Muslims, Dalits, and the economically disadvantaged across various communities. He argues that the combination of these measures could lead to widespread disenfranchisement and distress among these groups.

The AIMIM leader's critique comes in the wake of Amit Shah's staunch defense of the CAA, where Shah insisted that the act would not be withdrawn despite ongoing protests. Shah had also issued a public debate challenge to political leaders opposing the CAA, including prominent figures like Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, and Mayawati.

Taking up the gauntlet, Owaisi dared Shah to engage in a debate with him instead, emphasizing his readiness to discuss the implications of the CAA, NPR, and NRC. 

His challenge was issued during a rally in Karimnagar district, ahead of municipal polls, where he also criticized the BJP's penchant for renaming places and made a pointed reference to the 'Halwa' ceremony traditionally held before the Union Budget, questioning the party's commitment to removing Islamic influences from Indian culture.

The law, which was passed in December 2019, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, specifically mentioning Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities, but notably excluding Muslims.

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