Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday lashed out at those opposing the National Register of Citizens, asking whether they wanted the country to become a "Dharam Shala" (an open house).

Addressing a function of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, an RSS-affiliated student union, here, he said people like Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country.

"Are we going to make our country a Dharam Shala now where anyone can roam freely?" he asked.

"Therefore, we need to accept this challenge and we should make sure that only those who are ready to say Bharat Mata Ki Jai can live here,"