Anti-CAA protests politically motivated, says Satyapal Singh

BJP lawmaker Satyapal Singh on Wednesday said that the ongoing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests across the country by different political parties and outfits are "politically motivated" and asserted that the law was not for any Indian citizen.

"Anti-CAA protest across the country by different political parties and outfits are totally politically motivated. The Act was not for any Indian citizen," Singh said in a press conference here. The former chairman of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of CAA also said that the CAA has been introduced during the Congress regime and the opposition is now using it as a "tool for vote bank".Emphasising on the Act, Singh said, "The present act is for those refugees who have been staying here at least for six years. They will get citizenship."

"Those refugees including Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and Parsi were targeted in the name of religion in Islamic countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghstan, will get citizenship as per the new Act. At present, their number is 31,313 in the country," he added.

Asked that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will not implement CAA in the state, Singh said, "As per the Indian Constitution's 7th schedule, if the Union Government has passed an amendment in the Parliament, no state government has the power to not implement the Act."

He further said that oppressive conditions on refugees like fees of Rs 15,000 for applying citizenship were relaxed by the BJP government considering their financial condition.

( With inputs from ANI )