Shah said the government has not taken any decision on rolling out the NRC for the whole country.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the government has not taken any decision on rolling out the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for the whole country.
He, however, asserted that the NRC was a promise of the BJP in its election manifesto.
The Home Minister said even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly said that no decision has been taken yet on a nationwide NRC.
Speaking on the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, Shah said anyone who wants to discuss issues related to CAA with him can seek time from his office.
"(We) will give time within three days," he added.
Strongly defending the CAA, which provides for Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, the home minister said there is no such provision in the new law that will take away the citizenship of Muslims.
"We have never discriminated against anyone on the ground of religion. There is no provision in the CAA which says that citizenship of Muslims will be revoked. Don't just criticise CAA, but discuss it on the basis of merits. CAA is neither anti-Muslim nor anti-minority. I am ready to meet anyone, but discussions need to happen on merit. Unfortunately, nobody wants to come forward and discuss CAA," he said.
Shah also said that so far the government has not taken any decision on rolling out the NRC for the whole country and made it clear that those unwilling to show documents during the the National Population Register exercise were free to do so.
Asked about the ongoing agitations against the CAA, Shah said everyone has a right to peaceful protest but violence is not justified.
"We tolerate non-violent protests, but vandalism can't be tolerated. Silent protest is a democratic right," he said.
On Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said everyone, including politicians, are free to visit the newly-created Union Territory whenever they want to and there is no restriction on anyone's movement.
Asked about the detention of three former chief ministers -- Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti -- he said it was a decision of the local administration to slap them with the Public Safety Act.
Omar Abdullah has approached the Supreme Court and let the judiciary take a decision on it, he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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