Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Thursday, 14 March, saying that its implementation could potentially trigger a migration crisis.
Kejriwal said that Shah's response had failed to address the core questions he had raised about the implications of the CAA, and instead focused on allegations of corruption against him.
"Yesterday, in my press conference, I explained how dangerous CAA is and why it should be retracted. Today, Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about the press conference to which I am giving an answer. In his statement, he hadn’t answered any of the questions I raised. He only abused me, but leave me, I’m not important, the country is. I want to ask you that today, the government collectively is not able to give employment to our children," said Kejriwal.
"You are bringing people in a huge amount from Pakistan and Bangladesh; how will you give them employment? First, create employment for our own country's children. This was my main question. Where will the houses and employment come from for the migrants you want to bring to our country? Our country has poor people who don’t have jobs or houses," added Kejriwal.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief criticised Shah and mentioned that migrants had earlier feared returning to their countries due to illegal migration, and claimed that with the CAA, illegal migration was made legal.
Furthermore, Kejriwal said, "The government money is our money – the money of 140 crore Indians from our taxes. Pakistanis and people from Bangladesh haven’t given this tax money. You want to spend our country's money on the settlement of Pakistanis in India. It is not acceptable to our country, and I humbly request that you understand."
"I want to know from the people of the country: will you be agreeable to a jhuggi of immigrants from Pakistan being set up across the road from your house? Who are these people from Pakistan and Bangladesh? Will you feel safe? Will the country be safe?” Kejriwal questioned.
"If you want to bring people from outside, in our country over the last 10 years, 11 lakh businessmen and industrialists have left India because of BJP and the central government. If you want, bring them back," said Kejriwal.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had criticised the Opposition for their "politics of lies" over the CAA.
(With inpurs from IANS and The Indian Express.)
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