To protest against the stand of Indian National Congress on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), four Goa Congress leader have resigned from the party on Thursday (2 January), reports FirstPost.

After reportedly quitting the party, the four leaders -- Panaji Congress block committee president Prasad Amonkar, North Goa minority cell chief Javed Sheikh, block committee secretary Dinesh Kubal and former youth leader Shivraj Tarkar, said they were in favour of the amended citizenship law.

Amonkar was reported saying that the Congress was trying to mislead the public, especially minorities on the said citizenship law.

"We oppose the wrong stand taken by the Congress on CAA and NRC. As an opposition, we need to be critical and not just oppose something for the sake of opposing. The Citizenship Amendment Act needs to be welcomed," he said.

The Congress should stop "misleading people and creating fear in the minds of minorities for political mileage", Amonkar added.

"We all were part of the Congress' protest held last week against the CAA and NRC. But, we realised that the leaders, through their speeches, were trying to create fear in the minds of minorities. This is not right," he said.

He also accused the party of instigating the minorities. He added that the CAA seeks to give citizenship to refugees who have had centuries of cultural affinity with the Indian ethos. Additionally, the law has been enacted via democratic process.

"The CAA addresses concerns of minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Members of the majority community in those countries, who want to apply for Indian citizenship, will still be able to so as per the existing provisions," Amonkar added.