Speaking on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that it was none other than Mahatma Gandhi himself who assured that India will give shelter to minorities from Pakistan if they face threat there.
"Mahatma Gandhi has assured minorities that India will give them shelter. India became a secular country, while Pakistan the Islamic Republic after partition. There were apprehensions that where the minorities including Hindus will go in case they face religious persecution there," said Nitin Gadkari.
"At that time Gandhi assured that minorities are free to come to India and we will give them shelter and recognition," he said.
"Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel have also testified it," he added.
"At the time of partition Hindus were 22 per cent in Pakistan, now they are only 3 per cent. Where the rest have gone? The Hindus are subjected to rapes, murders, and forced conversions. There is no safety for them in Pakistan," he said.
He said that CAA not against any Indian Muslim and Congress is spreading rumours.
"CAA is not against Indian Muslims it is only to grant citizenship to persecuted religious minorities of three neighbouring nations. I appeal to our Muslim brothers, see through this misinformation campaign of Congress, they only see you as a voting machine," he added.
The Citizenship Amendment Act 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 )