Arvind Kejriwal Calls Out BJP's 'Dirty Vote Bank Politics' On CAA; BJP Hits Back

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government was criticized over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who labeled it as "dirty vote bank politics" aimed at diverting jobs meant for India's youth, on Wednesday.

"It is deemed as dirty vote bank politics," Kejriwal stated, emphasizing that if individuals are brought to India and selectively settled in constituencies where the BJP is politically weak, it would lead to an increase in the BJP's vote bank. "Some people say that in the future elections, the vote bank will give BJP a big political advantage," he added.

During a press conference in the national capital, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener highlighted that instead of addressing unemployment and inflation, the government is prioritizing CAA. Under CAA, minority communities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are to be granted Indian citizenship, potentially resulting in large numbers of individuals being brought to the country, provided with jobs and housing. Kejriwal criticized the BJP-led central government for failing to provide jobs to Indian youth while allocating resources to individuals from Pakistan.

The rules for implementing the CAA were notified by the Centre on Monday, four years after the Parliament passed the contentious law in 2019, aiming to expedite citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

Kejriwal stated, "The entire country demands that CAA should be withdrawn. We will not give our share of jobs to people from other countries. If it's not withdrawn, people should express their anger by voting against the BJP in the general elections." The Delhi CM asserted that CAA was devised to bolster BJP's vote bank in select constituencies, anticipating that the cutoff date of 2014 would be extended in the future.

Concerns were raised by Kejriwal regarding the impact of illegal migration on the northeastern states, particularly Assam, where it has affected language and culture. He criticized BJP's stance, asserting that no country in the world welcomes people from neighboring countries, except for BJP.

Kejriwal suggested that the BJP should focus on attracting wealthy businessmen back to India to stimulate job creation, noting that around 1.1 million rich businessmen left India in the last 10 years due to the government's flawed policies.

BJP slams Delhi CM

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva responded to the CM's remarks, asserting that Kejriwal aligns himself with figures like Asaduddin Owaisi, Mamata Banerjee, and Rahul Gandhi. Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of not only offending the sentiments of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Christian refugees but also attempting to intimidate Indian Muslims.

"Through his press conference today, Arvind Kejriwal has demonstrated that he is anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh, and anti-Buddhist. He fails to comprehend that CAA is intended to provide refuge to all needy individuals persecuted by 'jihadis' and not to deprive anyone of their citizenship. Kejriwal either deliberately disrespects refugees or remains oblivious to how Muslim fundamentalism has persecuted Hindus and Sikhs, seized their jobs, and humiliated their female relatives," Sachdeva remarked.

Additionally, the BJP leader emphasized, "Kejriwal should recognize that refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan are our own and will always remain so. He must not overlook that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only extended benefits of all schemes to all Indian Muslims but also to Muslims from neighboring countries."