Citizenship Amendment Act: BJP launches toll-free number to garner support; Centre clarifies 'Myths'

New Delhi: In a bid to register the support of common people for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a campaign with a toll-free number. This would facilitate people to give missed calls to register their support for the Citizenship law.

Speaking to media persons on Friday, BJP leader Anil Jain said, "This campaign is aimed to do away with misgivings about the CAA. People can give a missed call to toll-free number 8866288662 and extend their support to the new law." Jain said, "We are taking steps to eliminate confusion regarding the CAA. We will connect with 3 crore households on the same." 

Notably, senior leaders, as well as elected representatives, will reach out to the people in `door to door` campaigns and explain to them the provisions of the CAA, as part of the campaign. 

Since "Myths" are being spread against the law that critics say discriminates against Muslims, the Central government chose the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to clarify the facts, as critics say that the law discriminates against Muslims and threatens India`s secular ethos because it makes religion a criterion for citizenship.

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To curb misinformation being spread against the CAA, the government is circulating the "Facts" related to the law that aims to grant citizenship to members of six communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists and Parsis -- facing persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and having sought refuge in India on or before December 31, 2014.

When one opens the PIB website, a message flashes on its home page, headlined "DO NOT GET MISLED by the misinformation on the Citizenship Amendment Act". It says "A lot of rumours and misinformation are being circulated, which are in no way true".

To clarify the facts of the CAA, the message shows three "Myths" and counter it with three "Facts". The Three "Myths" read "CAA is targeted at taking away citizenship from Indian Muslims", "CAA is against Indian Muslims", and "Documents to prove citizenship need to be collected right now or else people will be deported".

Countering first of the three "Myths", the first "Fact" says, "CAA does not affect any existing Indian citizenship of any religion. It is about giving citizenship to persecuted minorities settled in India till 2014 and not taking away citizenship from anyone."

Rejecting the second "Myth", the second "Fact" says: "Wrong. CAA applies only to minorities from three countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It does not concern any Indian of any religion, including Muslims. So, there is no question of it being against Indian Muslims."

Countering the third "Myth", the third "Fact" says it is "wrong." "No nationwide NRC has been announced. If and when it is announced, rules and guidelines would be framed such that no Indian citizen would face any harassment whatsoever."

The bottom line of the message, which automatically disappears within one minute after the PIB website is opened, says "No Indian citizen of any religion or any region will be adversely impacted by the Citizenship Amendment Act".

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior ministers have, on many occasions, clarified that the act has "nothing to do with Indian citizens", but rumours spread across the country have led to violent protests causing deaths of at least 30 people.

Since the law was passed by Parliament on December 11, over 2,000 people have been arrested and around 5,000 detained for protesting against the CAA. Hundreds of security personnel have also been injured in anti-CAA protests across India.

(With Agency Inputs)