Taking a dig at those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said: “If they want to carry out agitations, let them carry out agitations against the oppressions of Pakistan against its minorities, including Dalits, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, for the past 70 years.”
Addressing thousands of students and seers of various Mutts on the premises of the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, Mr. Modi said instead of carrying out agitations against Pakistan which was “oppressing” its minorities, the anti-CAA protesters were opposing the Union government for implementing the CAA and NRC to safeguard the interests of the minorities in Pakistan and other nations.
He said that if the Congress wanted to carry out rallies “let them do these in support of the victims of atrocities of Pakistan” and not against the Union government. He alleged that Pakistan had destroyed the lives of lakhs of its minorities. He dared the Congress to carry out protests against Pakistan. “It is time to expose the atrocities carried out by Pakistan on its minorities at the international level,” he said.
He said people fled from Pakistan to India to save their lives and the lives of their daughters. He told the protesters to raise their voice against Pakistan, which is carrying out “religious atrocities” against its minorities.
Strongly defending CAA, the Prime Minister asked what was wrong in giving shelter to the minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains of Pakistan who were being subjected to atrocities because of their religion.
With no other alternative, oppressed minorities there were forced to come to India seeking shelter and the Congress was not ready to say that what Pakistan was doing was not correct, he said.
The Prime Minister sought the support of the seers to protect nature and environment, to create awareness on water conservation, water harvesting and to inculcate the values of our ancient culture among the people.
He performed puja at Gadduge where the 111-year-old seer of Siddaganga Mutt, Dr.Shivakumara Swami was laid to rest. He also planted a Bilvapatre sapling on the premises of the Mutt. He laid foundation stone to a museum in memory of Mutt’s Late seer, Dr. Shivakumara Swami, on the premises of Mutt. The museum will house the belongs of Dr. Shivakumara Swami.
Seer of Siddaganga Mutt, Siddalinga Swami garlanded him and presented him a silver idol of Dr.Shivakumara Swami.
