Exclusionary step like CAA will harm idea of India: PC Chacko

India belongs to every religion and exclusionary step like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the government will only harm the idea of India, said senior Congress leader PC Chacko here on Saturday.

"Our country (India) belongs to every religion and exclusionary step like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the government will only harm the idea of India," Chacko told ANI here during the 134th foundation day celebrations of the Congress party.

Responding to Home Minister Amit Shah's apparent challenge to Rahul Gandhi to prove if the CAA is anti-Muslim, Chacko said: "Shah himself made the speech in parliament, which was very clearly indicating to that fact and Rahul Gandhi has repeated which Shah himself has said."

"Now they are in the denial mode. Whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, they (BJP) are denying. Whatever Amit Shah is saying, they are denying," added Shah.

On the BJP's accusation that the Congress is spreading lies over the newly-enacted citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens, Congress leader Ambika Soni said: "It is PM Modi who is contradicting his Home Minister Amit Shah. If the country's Prime Minister is contradicting his own Home Minister, then who is lying."

Meanwhile, Congress president Sonia Gandhi hoisted the tricolour at the party headquarters to kick-start its 134th foundation day celebrations on Saturday.

Senior Congress leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Motilal Vora, AK Antony, and Rahul Gandhi sang 'Vande Mataram' on the occasion.

The party plans to hold marches throughout the country to spread the message of 'Save Constitution, Save India' and its leaders will read the Preamble of the Constitution in their respective languages at public meetings organised for this purpose during the day.

The Congress was founded by Allan Octavian Hume on December 28, 1885.