CAA is not against any Indian citizen: Union Minister

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is not against any Indian citizen, but the Congress is politicising it, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said on Monday.

"I would like to tell the whole country that the Congress is misleading the people. Congress is doing politics. It is making wrong use (of CAA) to halt development, to halt our work to make the (country) an economic superpower of five trillion US dollars," Reddy told reporters on the sidelines of a pro-CAA campaign organised by the BJP here.

Why did not the Congress protest in 2015 when the CAA was passed in the Lok Sabha, he asked.

Any BJP worker would be ready for a debate with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the issue, he said.

"I challenge Rahul Gandhi ji on the CAA, at any stage, any place, if he questions. Even our ordinary worker of the BJP is ready (for debate), I am not required," he said.

Gandhi has not understood what is there in CAA, he claimed.

There is not even even a word in the CAA against the Indian Muslims or people of other religions, he said. There is no need for Indian Muslims to fear, he said.

Asked if the NPR (National Population Register) is same as the one in 2010, he said, "Almost the same. NPR means census. Census means NPR. There are no changes there. (We are) are taking some more details.... for welfare activity.