A delegation of interfaith leaders met the Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday to express solidarity with the central government in the wake of violent protests and public unrest over the amended Citizenship Act.
"The delegation members expressed solidarity with the government and faith in the policies of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The delegation unmously affirmed that the CAA concerns foreigners and no Indian, from whichever religion, caste, colour or creed, has anything to fear," a government release said.
The delegation comprised of prominent spiritual gurus and social reformers from different faiths and sects, including Jain Acharya Dr Lokeshji, Meditation guru Swami Deepankar, Mufti Shamoon Qasmi, Sardar Sant Singh, Veer Chakra Awardee Col, TP Tyagi, Vineet Kumar and Gautam.
"Highlighting the principles of Dharma and Ahimsa, the delegation affirmed their belief that the legislation has been passed on humtarian grounds for those who fled from the three countries fearing persecution and had migrated to India for solace and safety," read the release.
"The delegation said that India being a land of mutual acceptance and harmony; it is unacceptable that one protests against a decision that aims to alleviate the suffering of those uprooted families. The legislation is based on a perfect rationale and objective premise, the members reiterated," it said.
According to the government, the delegation said that resilience of Indian democracy lies in the strength of our collectivism, the belief in non-violence, and acceptance and adherence to the principles of the constitution.
"They reiterated the fact that we all identify ourselves as Indians before anything else and it keeps us together. It is this faith and belief that will keep us together and strong in the face of storm, let loose by forces that do not want to see us united and growing. They urged the people to guard themselves against misinformation meant to destabilize our foundations of mutual respect and acceptance," read the release.
( With inputs from ANI )