Those opposing CAA are either misinformed or are motivated by other reasons: Jitender Singh

Union Minister Jitender Singh on Sunday said that the people opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act either don't have complete information or are motivated by some other reasons.

"The BJP has launched a nation-wide awareness campaign over the Citizenship Amendment Act. The purpose of this campaign is to dispel misinformation. Those opposing the act either don't have complete information or are motivated by some other reasons," Singh told reporters here.

He said that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had in 1950 also argued for a change in the citizenship law to "allow refuge to these persecuted minorities from these three countries."

"This campaign is the need of the hour as the opposition parties, mainly Congress is not aware of its party's own past. Liyaqat-Nehru pact was signed to protest the interests of minorities in the two countries. But minorities were ill-treated in Pakistan," Singh said.

"In 1949, Nehru wrote a letter to then Assam chief minister. Nehru said that it was our responsibility to look after those persecuted minorities coming from these countries. India is their natural home. We must learn to draw a distinction between minority Hindu and Sikh refugees and a Muslim immigrant coming from these three countries," he added.

Singh also reached out to the people and informed them about the newly amended citizenship act.

The party has launched a 10-day awareness campaign to "dispel misinformation over the Citizenship Amendment Act amid major opposition and protests being held against it across the country.