- Union Minister Pokhriyal said- Mamta Banerjee had demonstrated against immigrants in the state when she was an MP in 2005.
- He said- Congress responsible for dividing the country on religious grounds, deliberately spreading misinformation about CAA
Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal raised concerns against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) demonstrations and politicization in several universities in the country. He said at the Kolkata event on Sunday that the government would not tolerate making educational institutions a political hub under any circumstances. Everyone has the freedom to engage in political activities, but university and college should be kept away from it. Most of the students come here to study from far and distance.
Students from universities across the country, including JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, Jadavpur University in Kolkata, are demonstrating on the issue of CAA and NRC. Pokhriyal accused the opposition parties of spreading misinformation about the CAA. He said that the Congress is responsible for dividing the country on religious grounds. Congress is spreading confusion about CAA.
‘Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are not secular’
Pokhriyal targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for opposing the CAA. He said that when the Trinamool chief was an MP in 2005, she demonstrated against immigrants in the state. At that time, she openly demanded the citizenship law. Pokhriyal upheld the decision to grant citizenship to minorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and said that not all these countries are secular.
‘Now only 3% minority in Pakistan’
Pokhriyal said that religious minorities like Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and Christian had 23% of the population in Pakistan during Partition, which has now lowered to around 3%. I want to ask Mamataji where did these people go. Congress should also answer whether they were forced to convert, killed or forced to flee. Pokhriyal claimed that the Muslim population in India was 9% during independence, which has increased to 14% today.