Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 12 (IANS): Senior BJP leader and the party's Kerala in charge, Prakash Javadekar, claimed on Tuesday that the ruling Left and the Congress-led opposition are deliberately spreading lies and misinformation about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the state.

Javadekar's remarks came a day after the Union Home Ministry notified the rules for the CAA, paving the way for granting citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

“It is not a new law. It was passed by both houses of the Parliament in 2019 and was vetted by the Supreme Court later,” said Javadekar.

He also pointed out that the CAA does not take away anybody’s citizenship rights, be it Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, or any other Indian citizen.

“Our citizenship rights remain intact. No Indian citizen should feel that his citizenship is in danger. The CAA is not about making any change to the citizenships of Indians. Therefore, nobody should fall prey to the mischievous campaign of the ruling Left and the Congress-led opposition in Kerala,” Javadekar said.

“The CAA grants citizenship rights to those refugees who have been persecuted on religious grounds in the neighboring countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The reducing population of Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs in those countries stands as proof,” Javadekar added.

He also said that these three countries are declared Islamic nations.

“Therefore, religious persecution cannot take place against Muslims there. It happens only with the religious minorities. These hapless refugees come to India as they have nowhere else to go. Without citizenship, they suffer a lot. CAA grants such refugees full citizenship rights. This law is not exclusive, but inclusive, and is not against the Muslims,” Javadekar said.

“I am sure that the Left and the Congress' campaigns will fall flat, and nobody will be swayed by such false propaganda because falsehood can’t survive for long. The truth always prevails ultimately. The unity of India will always remain intact,” Javadekar added.