'Not in national interest,' says Kejriwal on CAA implementation ahead of Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed that the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 is "not in national interest" while accusing the ruling BJP of playing with the country's future for the sake of votes.

Addressing a press conference, he said the need for bringing this legislation would not have risen if the BJP had worked in the past ten years. 

He said the new law says that the citizenship will only be granted to the refugees who had entered India before 2014, but this is just the beginning. He expressed fear that once this Act comes into action, people from Pakistan and Bangladesh will start coming to India in large numbers. 

"Today, the BJP is saying this Act would only be applicable on people who entered the country before December 2014. Before the next elections, they will eventually extend the date to 2024, so that people who have entered India by 2024 can apply for citizenship, and it will keep going on. This is extremely dangerous for the country," he alleged.

"By bringing CAA, BJP is playing with country just for sake of vote bank, it is preparing to snatch rights of people of India and give them to children of Pakistanis...Wherever BJP's votes are less, poor people from other countries will be settled in slums there, so that BJP's permanent vote bank can be created," he added.

Urging people not to vote for BJP if it does not withdraw the law, he said, inflation and unemployment is at its peak but the government was not doing anything to address the concerns of the people.