Don’t worry, Modi tells India’s Muslims

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought on Sunday (Dec 22) to reassure India's Muslims over a new citizenship law that has sparked deadly protests and put his Hindu nationalist government under pressure like never before.

At least 25 people have died in almost two weeks of demonstrations and violence after Modi's government passed the law criticised as anti-Muslim.

Advertisement

Advertisement

More protests took place on Sunday in the Hindu-majority nation.

READ: Protesters set fire to train stations in India over citizenship law

Addressing party supporters in New Delhi – who cried "Modi! Modi!" at the mention of the law – the prime minister said Muslims "don't need to worry at all" provided they are genuine Indians.

"Muslims who are sons of the soil and whose ancestors are the children of mother India need not to worry," Modi, 69, told the crowd of thousands.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Accusing the main opposition Congress party of condoning the violence by not condemning it, Modi said opponents were "spreading rumours that all Muslims will be sent to detention camps".

"There are no detention centres. All these stories about detention centres are lies, lies and lies," he said.

READ: Malaysian PM Mahathir 'sorry to see' India depriving Muslims of citizenship: Reports

Despite the prime minister's assertion, the northeastern state of Assam has six detention centres holding more than 1,000 alleged illegal migrants, and plans another 11.

India's junior home minister has told parliament that 28 detainees have died in the camps in recent years.

The Home Ministry in June issued a "2019 Model Detention Manual" to states, asking them to set up camps in major entry points.

Two centres were planned near the cities of Mumbai and Bangalore.

Modi also said that there had been "no discussion" about a nationwide "register of citizens", which many Muslims in India fear is targeted mainly at them.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Modi's right-hand man, has said repeatedly that such an exercise will take place aimed at removing all "infiltrators" from India.

The ruling party also promised in their 2019 national election manifesto to implement NRC in a "phased manner in other parts of the country".

This year such a register in Assam state left off 1.9 million people unable to prove they or their forebears were there before 1971. They now face possible statelessness.

LARGELY PEACEFUL

Demonstrations against the citizenship law have been largely peaceful but protesters have also hurled rocks and torched vehicles, while heavy-handed police tactics including the storming of a Delhi university a week ago have fuelled anger.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered late Saturday in the southern city of Hyderabad. Other large demonstrations took place on Sunday, including in Jaipur and Mumbai.

In Bangalore other protesters gathered to support the law.

It gives religious minority members – Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Christians and Buddhists – from three neighbouring Islamic countries an easier path to citizenship, but not if they are Muslim.

Islamic groups, the opposition and others at home and abroad fear this forms part of Modi's aim to Read More – Source