Amit Shah slams Congress leader Chidambaram's anti-CAA stance, vows to uphold law

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, issued a strong rebuke to Congress leader P. Chidambaram's assertion that key laws, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 (CAA) and three new criminal laws, would be repealed if Congress came to power. Shah declared that neither would Congress return to power nor would these laws, enacted for public welfare, ever be revoked.

In a statement, the minister said, "Blinded by the politics of appeasement, Congress has lost its nerve upon seeing its crushing defeat in the first phase. It is hell-bent on harming Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Sikh, and Parsi communities to appease its vote bank."

He asserted that it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee that everyone from persecuted minority communities who have come to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh will receive citizenship through the CAA, and no one can stop it.


The Congress has a problem with Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, and Parsis receiving citizenship, he alleged, adding the opposition party is troubled at justice being served within three years through the law.

Voters will teach the Congress a bigger lesson in this Lok Sabha elections than the 2019 and 2014 polls, the BJP leader said.

"To change laws, one needs to be in government, and it's not possible for the Congress to become even the main opposition party," he said.

Criticism of Congress' Stance
Shah accused Congress of being driven by appeasement politics, noting its response to recent electoral setbacks. He criticized Congress for allegedly seeking to harm Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Sikh, and Parsi communities to appease its vote bank, emphasizing the Modi government's commitment to protecting persecuted minorities and providing them citizenship through the CAA.

Upholding Modern Legal System
Highlighting the Modi government's efforts to modernize India's legal system, Shah criticized Congress for opposing these changes. He praised the BJP's reforms, which he claimed have brought an Indian essence to the legal framework and improved the justice system.

Election Outlook and BJP's Confidence
Shah expressed confidence in the BJP's prospects in the upcoming elections, predicting a victory with a majority exceeding 400 seats. He suggested that the public's support for the BJP reflects a desire to continue building a developed India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

A party needs to win at least 10 per cent of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats to become eligible to be recognised as the main opposition party, a threshold the Congress could not cross in the last two elections.

Shah claimed that India has freed itself from the clutches of the Congress, which suppressed its fundamental culture and thoughts.

"Modi Ji has changed the criminal laws of the British era, providing India with the world's most modern justice system, while the Congress talks about changing it," he said in an apparent reference to the new criminal laws to replace to colonial era statutes.

Senior Congress leader Chidambaram on Sunday said the CAA will be repealed in the first session of Parliament if the INDIA bloc forms the government at the Centre. Chidambaram said the intention of the Congress party is to repeal the CAA even though it is not mentioned in its manifesto.