New Delhi: While Congress scion Rahul Gandhi on Thursday vehemently opposed the Citizenship Amendment Bill, a section of old guards in Congress want the party to follow a “middle path” on the issue. The old guards feel that opposing the Bill at this juncture would brand Congress as “anti-Hindu.” They apparently urged the Congress high command to support the Bill on the floor of the House and seek a clarification from the government on the status Muslims, “persecuted in other countries and seeking Indian citizenship.”
The leaders feel that in the past the BJP has been able to score political points over the Congress by branding it anti-Hindu. The fear that some Congress leaders have is that the BJP will accuse the Congress of “deserting distressed Hindus” who are being persecuted in neighbouring countries including Pakistan. This will also provide fodder to the BJP to target the Congress in the ongoing Jharkhand polls. Instead, they feel that the Bill should be supported and “right questions” should be asked from the government.
