NEW DELHI: Asserting that BJP has launched a countrywide campaign to convince people about the new citizenship law, BJP president and home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said protests were politically driven and asked Congress why violence did not take place in states where opposition parties are in office.“Today I am making this allegation publicly that the protests were politically motivated, which explains the fact that no violence took place in states where BJP is not in power. It explains the intent behind the protests. Opposition parties, mainly Congress, should explain as why protests were violent only in the BJP-ruled states,” Shah said at a media summit here.The home minister said the violent protests took place selectively. “People of the country know well who are behind violence,” Shah said and once again justified the police action against those indulging in violence. Police can’t sit idle if buses are being burnt and arson is taking place, he said.Noting Congress and other opposition parties are left with no issues and are sponsoring protests to create apprehensions in the public mind, Shah said CAA is about giving citizenship and not about taking away any one’s, which people should understand and not fall in the opposition trap. He also repeated that a nationwide National Register of Citizens is not currently under consideration.He asked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra to explain how CAA will harm the poor and minorities. “Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra are speaking pure lies. I reiterate citizenship of no Indian will be lost due to the new law and we have launched a countrywide campaign to make people understand this,” Shah said.The home minister also criticised opposition parties for attacking the National Population Register, a census-related exercise. “The criticism of a few people cannot stall the country. NPR is needed to frame schemes for the poor and it is a disservice to create doubts in the public over this,” he said.He said the government is confident about public support to the new law but the opposition managed to convince certain people against it after which a campaign was launched to make them aware as they are being misguided for political reasons and there was no merit in protests.Shah asserted that the citizenship being given to six minorities from three neighbouring countries, who had fled religious persecution, was as per norms and also in accordance with the promises given to them by the prominent leaders of the country like Mahatma Gandhi , Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel.“Most of country’s leaders at the time of Partition promised that religious minorities in Pakistan or Bangladesh will be welcome in India whenever they come. We have ensured a dignified life to them as per the wishes of our top leaders. They are our brothers,” Shah said. He clarified that the minorities from the neighbouring countries, who have settled in India, are not different of other Indians and they have to be accepted by the country and should be ensured a normal life in India.“The minorities from the neighbouring countries are our own people. They were very much Indians before Partition. They were assured that they will be welcome in India whenever they want,” Shah said.About recent incident when Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan was allegedly heckled by historian Irfan Habib, Shah said, “It was for the state to take action against the person who heckled the governor, which is a constitutional position. However, I say with conviction that the government of India took the incident very seriously.”On recent Jharkhand defeat, Shah said as party president he takes responsibility of the defeat and the party is looking into the reasons behind the loss.