Those supporting Shaheen Bagh are in awe of their vote bank: Amit Shah

Lambasting the opposition parties for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday claimed that the opposition parties were "in the awe of their vote bank".

"Why are they protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act? Because they are in awe of their vote bank," said Shah addressing a gathering here in Trilokpuri ahead of polls in Delhi.

Shah asked the crowd, "Are you their (opposition parties') vote bank? Who is their vote bank?" The crowd yelled, "Shaheen Bagh".

Cornering Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shah said: "On one side, there are Rahul Baba, Kejriwal and company who say that they are with Shaheen Bagh. On the other hand, there is a BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who enters into Pakistan and give a befitting reply to terrorists."

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Protests have erupted in various parts of the country against the newly amended citizenship law and the proposed National Register of Citizens.