Modi Govt has granted citizenship to nearly 600 Muslims : Hardeep Puri

He also said that in last five years, the Narendra Modi government has granted citizenship to nearly 600 Muslims.

"In modern India, refugees from Tibet, Sri Lanka, Uganda or Bangladesh, have been given asylum. CAA does not alter this commitment to human rights, rather, it reaffirms India's position as an upholder of humanitarian values," Mr Puri wrote in a series of tweets.

"CAA does not mean that Muslims who are otherwise persecuted in these countries cannot apply for Indian citizenship - in fact, in the last five years, PM Modi’s govt has granted citizenship to nearly 600 Muslims from these countries. CAA does not alter India's secular credentials," he said.

The Citizenship Amendment Act "neither alters nor challenges rights" of any Indian citizen, irrespective of religion, caste, creed, sect, ethnicity or race.

"The narrative that it threatens religious minorities in India is ignorance at best, and treacherous at worst," he wrote further adding "As opposition parties mount an anti-govt campaign using CAA as the lightening rod to spread misinformation, inflame passions, mobilise forces inimical to India's interests and incite violence".

Mr Puri, a former diplomat himself, also sounded critical of leaders such as Mamata Banerjee and said - "Riding on a false narrative, they became party to stone pelting, destruction of public property, arson and attacks on the police forces going against the Gandhian principles of peaceful protests.
Some even went to the extent of inviting foreign intervention".