'Brought Citizenship Act to correct historical injustice'

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the government has brought the Citizenship Amendment Act to correct "historical injustice" and to fulfil the BJP's "old promise" to religious minorities living in neighbouring countries.

Speaking at the Annual Prime Minister's National Cadet Corps (NCC) Rally 2020, Modi said the problem in Jammu and Kashmir persisted since Independence and some families and political parties kept issues in the region "alive", as a result of which terrorism thrived there.

He said: "But even when our armies would ask for action, they would not go ahead," he said, slamming the "inaction" of previous governments at the Centre.

He said the present government has been trying to solve decades old problems plaguing the country.

Slamming Pakistan, the prime minister said the neighbouring country has lost three wars, but continues to wage proxy wars against India.

Previous governments, he said, treated the problem as a law and order issue.

"But even when out armies would ask for action, they would not go ahead," he said, slamming the "inaction" of previous governments at the Centre.

He also said that currently, not only J-K, but other parts of the country are also peaceful and the government has managed to address the aspirations of the northeast region which were neglected for decades.

Listing out the achievements of the government, the PM referred to the Bodo agreement, Triple Talaq, abrogation of Section 370 in Jammu and Kashmir among them.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of destroying India's image as a country of peace and harmony and urged the youth not to let their voice be suppressed.

Addressing a youth rally here, the former Congress president blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre of creating an image for the country that deterred investors.

He claimed that one crore people lost their jobs in the past year while the Modi government had promised the creation of two crore new ones.

Gandhi said the growth rate of 9 per cent reached during the UPA term has now declined to 5 per cent -- and claimed it is only 2.5 per cent if measured in the same manner in which it was during the UPA period.

He said Narendra Modi has not studied economics, claiming that the prime minister could not understand the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Gandhi also criticised the PM on demonetisation, when high-value currency notes were withdrawn.

He urged the youth not to let their voice be suppressed and ask questions on employment and on the country's future.

Gandhi said wherever Modi goes he talks of CAA, NRC and NPR but not on real issues like unemployment.

But the Congress leader made no direct comment on the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register -- or on the recent protests, many of them involving young people, on these issues.

The opposition BJP picked on the apparent omission from Gandhi's speech. Its state unit chief Satish Poonia said the Congress rally was more of a drama .

The meeting was billed 'Yuva Aakrosh Rally', focusing on youth anger over unemployment and the state of the economy.

"Narendra Modi has destroyed India's image and reputation in the world. Today, India is known as the rape capital but Narendra Modi does not talk about this," Gandhi said at the rally at Jaipur's Ramniwas Garden. He said when the youth raise questions over unemployment and ask Modi why he "destroyed" India's image, you are answered with bullets and are suppressed.

He said India's biggest asset and strength are the youth, who are capable of competing with China but the government is wasting this asset.