'Nankana Sahib Gurudwara attack in Pakistan validates need for CAA': BJP's Pratap Sarangi

Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi on Sunday said that the attack on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan shows that minorities are not safe and Pakistan and thus, validates the need for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). 

"The incident of stone-pelting on Gurudwara in Pakistan proves that CAA is needed. It shows that Sikhs, Buddh, Parsis, Christians are not safe in Pakistan," said Sarangi. He added that India is morally bound to provide protection and shelter to minority communities that have been subject to persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. 

READ | Sikh Outfit Condemns Attack On Nankana Sahib Gurudwara 

Gurudwara Nankana Sahib attack 

An angry mob of 400 people attacked the holy shrine on Friday by pelting stones at the Gurudwara in Pakistan which is the birthplace of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. Sources report that the mob was led by Mohammed Imran Attari - brother of Mohammed Hassan who was responsible for the forcible conversion of a Pakistani Sikh girl named Jagjit Kaur. 

Reports have also asserted that the protestors consisting of Muslim residents of Nankana Sahib proclaimed that they will soon change the name from Nankana Sahib to Ghulam-e-Mustafa. Moreover, the mob allegedly claimed that 'no Sikh will remain in Nankana'. Reports suggest that several Sikh devotees were stranded inside the Gurdwara when it was attacked by the mob on Friday evening. 

READ | Congress Slams Pak PM For Hurting Sentiments Of Sikhs After Nankana Sahib Gurudwara Attack 

BJP vs Opposition over CAA 

The BJP led central government vows under the CAA to grant citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian refugees who came to India on or before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. However, Congress along with other opposition parties have been opposing the law and calling it discriminatory against the Muslims, whereas Congress had included the amendment of the Citizenship Act in its 2018 manifesto ahead of the Rajasthan assembly election. 

READ | After Attack On Gurudwara, Sikh Youth Killed In Pakistan's Peshawar 

Kerala state assembly has also passed a resolution to not implement the law, the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has also written to 11 CMs across the country including Punjab, Rajasthan and Odisha, asking them to oppose the implementation of the amended citizenship law. 

READ | Amit Shah Targets Opposition Over CAA Double-speak On Pakistan, Cites Nankana Sahib Attack