Lucknow/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dared the rainbow alliance of opposition parties to abolish the controversial CAA, which was enacted by the Union Home Minister earlier this year.

Addressing a rally in Lalganj in Uttar Pradesh, Modi hit out at the Opposition over its claim to abolish CAA, which aims to grant citizenship to refugees who came to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan before 2015.

Modi said, "People of the Indi alliance say that Modi has brought CAA, the day Modi goes, this CAA will also go. The people of the country have come to know that by doing vote bank politics and making Hindus and Muslims fight, you people had worn such a garb of secularism that your truth was not coming out, but Modi has exposed your truth. You forced the country to struggle in the fire of communalism for 7 decades."

"I challenge them to gather support nationally and internationally. See you in the battleground. They won't be able to abolish CAA," the Prime Minister said. 

More than two months after the CAA Act was notified, the Centre on Thu handed over the first set of citizenship certificates to 14 applicants in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over the certificates to the applicants.

"Home Secretary congratulated the applicants and highlighted salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024.  Secretary Posts, Director (IB), Registrar General of India and senior officers were also present during the interactive session," read a statement issued by the Indian government.

The Government of India had notified Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 on Mar 11.