Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Saturday accused the CPI(M) of “creating hurdles” in the BJP-led union government’s move “to give asylum to persecuted Christians” from neighbouring Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the country.

While the CPI(M) has objected to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on the grounds that it discriminates against people in the name of religion as it leaves out Muslims, Muraleedharan claimed that the stand of the Marxist party was “not to include” any particular community, but “against providing asylum to anyone including Christians”.