Indore: With teary eyes, Hindu refugees from Pakistan residing in the city narrated their experience of religious persecution in the Islamic country including forcible conversion, abduction and rape of girls and women, during a “thanksgiving” function organised to hail Narendra Modi government for enforcing Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The refugees also felicitated BJP working president JP Nadda who was chief guest at the function held Shubh Karaj marriage garden on Sunday. While anti-CAA protests have rocked many cities, the BJP decided to hold pro-CVV function “to expose Congress agenda of misleading and provoking minority community people”. It was the first pro-CAVV function of MP held in Indore wherein Hindu refugees, mostly Sindhis from Pakistan, shared their harrowing days in the Islamic state.
Pakistani Hindu woman Sangeeta Bhatiya said her bother-in-law’s daughters were abducted and his family was forced to embrace Islam in Pakistan. “My husband was also beaten up. On getting chance, we escaped from Pakistan. Now, we are living in Indore. We will never go to Pakistan come what may,” she said. She had come to attend function with her two daughters and son.
Physically-challenged Gulab Kesarwani along with two of his daughters also spoke about his experiences. “Pakistan is a hell for Hindus. Hindu girls are kidnapped and raped. I left Pakistan with both of my daughters and never returned,” he said and broke down. Nadda stood up and consoled him.
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A young girl Priyanka expressed similar views. She along with her family had come on short visa of 35 days but did not return. Manohar Lal, Laxmi Sharma and others Pakistani Hindus who migrated from Pakistan also shared how their properties were grabbed by Pakistani Muslims.
For Cong, vote bank is above country: Nadda
Nadda accused the Congress of "provoking" a particular community by "misleading" them on the CAA. "Congress is doing politics of violence by placing a vote bank above the country," he alleged.
"Rahul should answer whether he has read the history of India's partition? His statements do not show any pain for the era, which witnessed a barbaric massacre of people," he said. "In his political life, did Rahul ever try to meet the refugees who came to India after being persecuted in Pakistan and Bangladesh on the basis of their religions?" Nadda demanded to know.
Stating that India has always protected minorities, he said, “Will any Congress leader answer why percentage of minorities declined from 28 to 3 in Pakistan and 22 to 7 in Bangladesh after India's partition?"
He accused the previous Congress governments of delaying justice to refugees who settled down in India from Pakistan's Sindh province due to religious persecution.
"The strong will of Narendra Modi government has led to enactment of a new citizenship law. PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah clearly stated that not a single legitimate citizen of Muslim community will lose his Indian citizenship (due to new law)," he said.
Visas exhausted but I let them stay here: Ex-CM
Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that when short visas of nearly 200 Sindhi families who came to Indore from Pakistan had exhausted, they came to him saying they do not want to return. “I instructed the then collector and SP not deport them even if their visa period is over. I am happy that they will get Indian citizenship now,” he said. He demanded to know whether Congress wants Hindu girl refugees to go back to Pakistan so that they can be abducted and raped there.
No Hindu in 8,000 villages of WB: Kailash
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said Opposition is conspiring to create a new Pakistan within our country. Vijayvargiya, who is BJP's in-charge for West Bengal, alleged that several Opposition leaders including WB chief minister Mamata Banerjee were "creating anarchy" under the pretext of opposing the CAA. "There are 8,000 villages in West Bengal where not even one Hindu lives. If you go there, you will feel that this place is in Pakistan," he said.
Titbits
--- Nadda reached Bada Ganpati at 11.30 pm from where road show started. Permission was given for carrying BJP working president Nadda to Subh Karaj Garden, venue of pro-CAA function within 35 minutes. It was stated that his carcade won’t have more than 20 vehicles and glasses of car in which Nadda was travelling won’t be put down. But Nadda opened the gate to receive garlands from party workers. The carcade had about 40 vehicles and it took more than 1.30 hours for him to reach the venue.
---- Cars of ex-MLA Sudarshan Gupta, former BJYM president Golu Shukla and one more vehicle collided near Antim Square. They were part of carcade.
---- Several welcome gates, including one by Muslims, were set up on route of Nadda to support CAA.
----Despite ban, banners and posters could be seen on the stretch between Bada Ganpati and Shubh Karaj garden. IMC employees removed them when people took to social media highlighting the issue. Municipal commissioner Asheesh Singh issued a notice to city BJP president Gopi Nema seeking Rs 13.5 lakh as penalty.
