Ready to quit to protect the rights of minorities: TN minister

Amid the row over the Citizenship Amendment Act, Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani on Saturday said he is ready to quit his post to protect the rights of the minority community.

"Nothing will happen to minorities and if anything happens, I will stand with them. The post is not important to me and I am ready to quit to protect their rights," he said.

Speaking at a function to distribute Pongal harvest festival gifts at Karumbukadai, a Muslim dominated area in the city, Velumani said Chief minister K Palaniswami had made the ruling AIADMK's stand clear on the floor of the House on the CAA.

Besides, he had taken up the matter at the Central government level after a delegation from Jamaath met him a few days ago, he said.

Palaniswami on Thursday asserted in the Assembly that the interests of minorities would be fully protected by his government and urged them to not be swayed by 'politically motivated' rumours on the NRC.

The AIADMK, which supported the controversial citizenship bill in Parliament, recently asserted it would be the first to raise the voice in case even a single person from the minority community was affected if and when the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is implemented.

Over 20 Muslim organisations and outfits on Thursday petitioned the state government to urge the Centre to withdraw the CAA.

Stating that about 3,000 people belonging to the minority community were staying around his house, Velumani said all were living like brothers and sisters.