Varanasi, Jan 1 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday asserted that it is the "moral responsibility" of India to give shelter and citizenship to Hindus and other minority communities of Pakistan, which has been persecuting them persistently.

"It's our moral responsibility to give citizenship to the minorities (from the three neighbouring Muslim countries). If they don't come to India, where will they go? To Italy?" he asked.

"Italy will not accept Hindus or Sikhs as they are poor people," he said.

Stating that owing to persistent persecution of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Jains in Pakistan, the population of the minorities there has come down drastically from its earlier 30 percent-level, the minister said it's the moral responsibility of India to give shelter and citizenship to non-Muslims from the three neighbouring country.

The minister also claimed that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi knows no difference between the the CAA and GST and that is why he says the recent changes in the citizenship law would lead to an increase in the tax.

The "immature statement" of Rahul Gandhi shows he "cannot distinguish between CAA and GST" as he says the GST will further increase due to CAA.

"I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that if he does not know the difference (between CAA and GST), he should take tuition from a better tutor in the matter," said teh minister.

"It seems he doesnt have any idea about NPR and NRC either," he said.

The minister also accused the opposition of playing "cheap politics", saying that it is instigating people to protest against the recent changes in the citizenship law by misleading them.

He rued that the opposition was instigating violence instead of appealing them to resort to peaceful protests.

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