Addressing a rally in Assam's Barpeta, he said the CAA will grant citizenship to religiously persecuted people who came to India till 2014 from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Exuding confidence that the ruling NDA will win over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said people are being misled over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and asserted that the law will not take away the citizenship of anyone living in India.
Addressing a rally in Assam's Barpeta, he said the CAA will grant citizenship to religiously persecuted people who came to India till 2014 from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Singh was campaigning for BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad's candidate Phani Bhusan Choudhury, who is contesting the Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by Congress MP Abdul Khaleque.
"The people are being misled over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act... I assure you that this Act will not take away the citizenship of any people. It will only grant citizenship," the Defence Minister said.
The Centre on Monday implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who came to India before December 31, 2014.
Appealing to the people to vote for the AGP candidate, Singh asserted that the CAA is being implemented as per the BJP's election manifesto of 2019.
Addressing party workers of three NDA allies in Assam -- BJP, AGP and UPPL, Singh earlier during the day said there will be no kutcha houses in the state and assured people that everyone will get pucca dwelling units if the Narendra Modi-led government returns to power for the third consecutive term.
"There is no doubt at all that our government will be formed at the Centre. I believe the NDA will win more than 400 seats," he said, asking the party workers to campaign for this target in the run-up to the polls.
Singh also claimed that not just India, but the entire world knows the possible outcome of the Lok Sabha elections and has already accepted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be forming the government again.
He said that the Modi government has improved the lives of the poor drastically and they have been offered concrete housing units.
"If we form the government this time, there will not be a single kutcha house left in Assam. All the dwelling units will be made pucca," the senior BJP leader said.
He also mentioned various other central schemes related to water distribution, electrification, health insurance, LPG connection and vaccination drive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Singh also spoke about the Ram Temple and said Lord Ram has moved to "his palace" during the consecration ceremony after living in "a hut" for a long time.
"We had said it earlier that nobody can stop us from having a grand Ram temple. Now, nobody can stop the establishment of 'Ram Rajya' in India," he added.
Stating that abolishing Triple Talaq was done to give justice to women, Singh charged the opposition of communalising the issue between Hindus and Muslims.
He also praised Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for repealing the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registrations Act, 1935.
"We are blamed for Hindu-Muslim clash. But let me tell you that five Arab countries have bestowed the highest award to Modi for his contribution. This has never happened with any prime minister of India," Singh said.
Attacking the Congress, the senior BJP leader claimed that the basic difference between the two parties is that while the ruling front worships people, the opposition prays only to "one family".
"The Congress does only appeasement politics. I request them to do politics of justice and humanism. Congress carried forward this policy for a long time, but we won't allow this," he added.
Singh said the NDA has focused on development instead of communal politics and Modi will return to power for the third term for making India a developed nation.
"Modi in a single day unveiled projects worth Rs 17,500 crore for Assam and Rs 56,000 crore from Arunachal Pradesh, making it more than Rs 73,000 crore worth of projects inaugurated or having their foundation stone laid within 24 hours. The Congress did not do so much in its entire 10 year rule prior to the NDA government," he claimed.
Singh slammed the Congress and alleged that the opposition party has always neglected Northeast over the years.
"Only Modi gave the due respect to this region. When he took charge in 2014, he instructed all ministers to visit Northeast at least thrice every year and review the schemes of their respective departments. Now, the region is progressing very fast," he added.
The defence minister further claimed that India's position on the global platform has consolidated during Modi's tenure and everyone listens to what the country says, unlike the earlier times.
"India is moving ahead at a fast pace. The presidents and prime ministers of different countries have accepted that the 21st century will be India's," he added.
"The NDA government has ruled the country for 10 years, but not a single corruption allegation has been levelled against it or any of its ministers. We had seen earlier that within 2-3 years of Congress governments, corruption allegations started pouring in," Singh said.
He asserted that India is influenced by its golden history and it will be able to raise its head high if the NDA government returns to power again.
"It was a golden bird at one point of time. It will again be a golden bird very soon. When Modi took charge, India's position was 11th in the global economy. It has now reached 5th position," he added.
India will be among the top three countries by 2027 and will become a developed nation by 2047, Singh said.
He claimed that the BJP-led NDA government has fulfilled all its promises such as abrogation of Article 370 and abolishing Triple Talaq among the Muslim community.