Muslims have 150 countries to live, Hindus only have Bharat: Gujarat CM

Ahmedabad: While Muslims can choose any one of the 150 Islamic countries in the world for residence, India is the only country for Hindus, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Tuesday while justifying the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

While addressing a rally outside the Sabarmati Ashram, Mr Rupani hit out at the Congress for opposing the new law that grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

He accused the Congress of not honouring the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.

"There were 22 per cent Hindus in Pakistan at the time of Partition (in 1947). Now, due to persecution, rapes and constant torture, their population has been reduced to just 3 per cent. That is why Hindus want to come back to India. We are doing what the Congress was supposed to do," Mr Rupani said.

"Muslims can go to any of the 150 countries, but there in only country for the Hindus, and that is India. So what is the problem if they want to come back?" he added.

Seeking to counter protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Gujarat BJP leaders on Tuesday took part in pro-CAA rallies across all 33 districts of the state.

Mr Rupani added that it was "misfortune of India" to have parties and leaders like the "Congress, the Communists and (West Bengal CM) Mamata Banerjee". He accused them of "inciting" Muslims to fulfill "their own political agenda and destabilise the government".

He said the BJP government in Gujarat has already started granting citizenship to such persecuted refugees.