Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shehzad Poonawalla has launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, accusing its leaders of deliberately avoiding questions regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and its provisions for persecuted Bangladeshi Hindus. The BJP spokesperson alleged that Congress representatives are "running away" when confronted on this sensitive issue.
Allegations of Evasion and Political Posturing
Poonawalla's criticism stems from recent interactions where Congress leaders were reportedly questioned about their party's stance on granting Indian citizenship to Hindu minorities fleeing persecution from Bangladesh. According to the BJP leader, instead of providing clear answers, Congress members chose to evade the queries entirely. He specifically targeted senior Congress figures, including Rahul Gandhi, questioning their commitment to protecting the rights of these persecuted communities.
The BJP has consistently championed the CAA, which was enacted by the Modi government. The law aims to provide a pathway to Indian citizenship for persecuted non-Muslim minorities – including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians – from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. The Congress party, along with several other opposition groups, has opposed the Act, labeling it as discriminatory on religious grounds.
The Challenge to Rahul Gandhi and Congress Leadership
In his remarks, Shehzad Poonawalla issued a direct challenge to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He demanded that Gandhi publicly clarify his and his party's position on whether persecuted Bangladeshi Hindus deserve citizenship in India. The BJP leader framed this as a test of the Congress party's principles and its concern for humanitarian issues.
"When asked about Bangladeshi Hindus, Congress leaders run away," Poonawalla stated, emphasizing what he sees as the opposition's hypocrisy. He argued that while the Congress often speaks about secularism and minority rights, its leaders become silent when the discussion turns to the plight of specific religious minorities from neighboring Islamic nations.
Deepening the Political Divide on CAA
This latest exchange deepens the existing political rift over the Citizenship Amendment Act, which has been a polarizing topic since its passage. The BJP accuses the Congress of practicing vote-bank politics and appeasement by opposing the CAA, claiming it shows the party's indifference towards non-Muslim refugees. Conversely, the Congress and its allies argue that the law undermines India's secular constitution by making religion a criterion for citizenship.
The controversy is expected to feature prominently in the political discourse, especially in states with a significant refugee population. The BJP's strategy appears to be to corner the Congress on this issue, forcing them into a defensive position and appealing to a specific voter base that supports the CAA.
As the war of words intensifies, the core question remains whether the Congress will articulate a detailed counter-position or continue its broader opposition to the Act. The BJP's aggressive posture ensures that the debate over citizenship, national security, and humanitarian responsibility will stay at the forefront of Indian politics in the coming months.
