GORAKHPUR: In a surprise statement, BJP MLA from Gorakhpur, Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, has said that he will resign from his membership of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly “if any Indian Muslim of his constituency is evicted from the country during the CAA exercise”.
Through his Facebook posts, Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal has also asked people to invite him to meetings of Muslim community with a gathering of at least 5,000 people to get their fears over Citizenship Amendment Act allayed through dialogue and facts.
Agarwal, who has been a legislator since 2002, is reaching out to Muslims in his constituency as part of BJP‘s mass contact programme to dispel myths over the CAA.
While speaking to media persons, the MLA said: “During the contact programme, I have assured Muslims that I will tender my resignation if any genuine Indian Muslim citizen of my constituency in Gorakhpur is evicted under the CAA.”
He further said, “In fact, wherever I am going, I am asking people what is the basis of their fear that the CAA would take away citizenship of Indian Muslims.“
“I am trying my best to dispel doubts of the Muslim people regarding the Act which is meant for giving citizenship to the prosecuted non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
On December 11, 2019, the Citizenship Amendment Act was passed by the Parliament.
Excluding Muslims, the CAA seeks to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh on or before December 31, 2014.
As per the Act, such communities will not be treated as illegal immigrants and will be given Indian citizenship.