As part of the efforts aimed at presenting facts regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and related issues, Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addressed the media in Haldwani while the Bharatiya Janata Party vice president Avinash Rai Khanna along with the party’s state president and MP Ajay Bhatt addressed the media in Haridwar on Sunday.

Addressing the media, Nishank termed the CAA as a historic development. He clarified that the Act is about granting citizenship to the religiously persecuted minorities from India’s three neighbouring Islamic nations and not about taking away citizenship.

He said, “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government has been doing works which have been pending for about 70 years. The CAA was needed for a long time and was enacted in the nation’s interests. This Act would not be needed if India had not been partitioned on the basis of religion,” he said.

He said that the Act was brought in to ensure citizenship and respectable life for the persecuted minorities who came to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

There is no reason for any Indian citizen to feel afraid due to this. Some political parties and persons are opposing the CAA for political and other ulterior gains. These are the type of people who were earlier responsible for the partition of India. Using this Act as an excuse, they are trying to spread anarchy and hatred. Stating that some people are making educational institutions a hub of politics to achieve their own dubious aims, Nishank stressed that the government will not allow educational institutions to be politicised. He appealed to the students to focus their energies on works in the interests of the nation. The Government is focusing on developing educational institutions to secure place in international rankings, he added.

Meanwhile, in Haridwar, the BJP vice president Avinash Rai Khanna spoke of the party’s plans to reach out to citizens across the nation with correct information about the CAA.

In Uttarakhand, the party workers will go to each booth and informing the citizens about the facts related to CAA, garner support for Act. Citizens can also extend their support for the Act by giving a missed call on the toll free number issued by the party, he said.