Cong doing appeasement politics, creating confusion over CAA: Sitharaman

Union minister and Senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday accused the Congress of doing appeasement politics and creating confusion among people over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

"The Opposition is creating confusion and misleading people over the issue of CAA. Congress president Sonia Gandhi released video statement but she did not condemn the violence. The Congress is standing with those who committed violence," she told a press conference at the BJP office here.

She said religious minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh have faced persecution in their respective countries and sought asylum in India during the last six decades.

"In the last six years, over 2000 refugees, mostly Muslims, who have come from Pakistan got Indian citizenship. In the same period, more than 900 people, mostly Muslims, from Afghanistan and nearly 200 people, mostly Muslims, from Bangladesh also got citizenship. There is no exclusion. Even today, they can acquire citizenship under the Citizenship Act," Sitharaman said.

Earlier in the day, she launched a door-to-door awareness campaign on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Kagzi Mohalla, Khudabaksh Chowk in Sanganer here and accused the opposition of spreading misinformation about the new citizenship law.

"The CAA is not for taking away anyone's citizenship. The Opposition has no other issue and therefore they are deliberately creating misconception. They are wrong. Confusion is being created by linking CAA with NRC and we have to clear it," she told a Muslim family.

She also visited Laxmi Colony near Kagzi Mohalla for the campaign.

She was accompanied by Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra and other leaders.