By Rupesh Samant

Panaji, Feb 26: BJP National Spokesman Sambit Patra on Wednesday alleged that the protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) were an act of opposition to destabilize the government and the country.

He said that the Modi-led government has solved few of the most controversial issues like article 370, triple talaque, Ram Mandir and CAA within one year of its second term, due to which the opposition has been baffled.

“Do you think that whoever are in opposition will keep quiet when we solve such controversial issues within one year of coming to power for second consecutive term?,” he questioned.

“They won’t. They will use all their might to destabilize the government and also destabilize the country. I appeal you all, we should not allow the government to be destablised,” said Patra.

The BJP leader was in Goa to address interactive session on “Building Foundations of a New India.”

Pointing out that Modi-led government came back to power in 2019 with a bigger mandate compared to 2014, Patra said that “it would have been a great dis-service to the mandate if issues which has never been solved were not solved with this mandate.” “Those were the issues which were pending for last 70 years and the political parties remain indecisive on them,” he said.

“If, despite such a mandate, if we don’t solve those issues, then it would have been stabbing on the mandate of the people,” Patra commented.

“Today, I can say with pride that the country has found leadership under Narendra Modi and his team has given a sense of closure for those issues which were considered as controversial in the country,” he said.

The BJP spokesman said that he had never in his wildest dream imagined that in his lifetime, he will see a day when article 370 would be abrogated.

“It (article 370) was projected as a monster which was never touched,” he said.

The BJP leader said that the situation in Kashmir is normal and when someone raises slogan of “Free Kashmir”, he concedes that he is asking for (restoration of) internet connectivity.

Narrating the incidents around the laws on citizenship, Patra said that this is the ninth time that the Citizenship Act of 1955 has been amended.

“The protests against CAA are condemnable and it is with the proper agenda,” he said.

Patra said that the way Rajiv Gandhi government was blackmailed to turn down SC verdict in Shahabano case, similar attempts are now being made in the case of CAA.

“They want to blackmail the government. They want that the government should bend down. They want that government should take their track back,” he said.

“Time and again Prime Minister and Home Minister has said that CAA is not snatching anyone’s right but it is giving the rights,” he added.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant, BJP State President Sadanand Tanavade were also present for the interactive session.