'Radical' Muslims behind anti-CAA protests, real target is Ram temple: BJP lawmaker

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is just an "excuse" and the target is Ram Temple, said BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha lawmaker GVL Narasimha Rao on Tuesday regarding protests against the new law.

He alleged that the anti-CAA protests are sponsored by "radical" Muslims and they are using the amended law to create unrest in the country.

"CAA protests which have been going on at several places over the past month are being carried out by some fundamentalists from Muslim community... CAA is not going to take citizenship of people protesting in Shaheen Bagh. Who is sponsoring the protest? These protests are the handiwork of radical Muslims," Rao told .

"Parties like Congress, CPM supported citizenship for minorities from Pakistan... they are changing positions now. They all are now subject to blackmail.... CAA is just an excuse and their target is Ram Temple. They do not want that Ram Temple to be constructed. They are using CAA to create unrest in the country," he said.

In November last year, the Supreme Court had awarded the disputed land to the deity Ram Lalla and asked the Centre and the state government to give the Sunni Waqf Board a five-acre plot in Ayodhya to build a mosque.

When asked about Punjab and Kerala passing the anti-CAA resolutions, the BJP leader said questioning any law passed by Parliament does not come under rights of state assemblies.

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

( With inputs from ANI )