Citizen (Amendment) Act to be implemented after Covid-19 pandemic ends: Amit Shah
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah today reiterated that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which gives Indian citizenship to "persecuted" religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying the law would be implemented once the Covid-19 pandemic ends.
Addressing a public meeting in Siliguri town in North Bengal, Shah accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "spreading rumours" that the CAA would not be enforced, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
At a separate event in north 24 Parganas district of West Bengal earlier in the day, Shah, in an apparent reference to Bangladesh's liberation war, said India has always emphasized on the protection of human rights around the world.
"In the 1970s, when human rights were violated and horrific atrocities were committed in a neighboring country, both the BSF and the Indian Army defended human rights in that area with great valour," he said without naming Bangladesh after laying the foundation stone of a "Friendship Museum" in north 24 Parganas district.
Speaking at the public meeting in Siliguri, Shah said "I want to make it clear that the Trinamool Congress is spreading rumours that the CAA will not be implemented. I want to say that as soon as the Covid wave abates, we will implement CAA on the ground.
"Mamata didi, do you want the infiltration to continue? But I want to tell you the CAA is a reality and it will remain a reality and the TMC cannot do anything about it," added the Home Minister.
The CAA, passed by Indian parliament in December 2019 and endorsed by the president soon after, is yet to be implemented as the Indian government has repeatedly sought time to frame the rules for implementing the law.
The TMC has often taunted the Indian government for not implementing the CAA which gives Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Christians and Buddhists who fled to India till 2014 after facing "persecution" in those countries.
Shah said the BJP would not rest till it uprooted the "tyrannical" rule of the TMC and restored democracy in West Bengal.
He also said that the saffron party would continue to fight against the 'cut-money' culture (extortion), corruption and political violence.
"I want to thank the people of north Bengal for raising BJP's tally in Bengal Assembly to 77 from three (in the 2021 assembly polls won resoundingly by the TMC). The BJP won't rest till it uprooted the TMC's tyrannical rule," the Home Minister said.
"We had hoped that Mamata Banerjee would rectify herself after being voted to power for a third time. We waited for an entire year for her to rectify herself but she didn't change. It is the ruler's law that prevails in the state," he stated.
Also earlier in the day, Shah inaugurated three floating border outposts (BOPs) of the Border Security Force to enhance security along the border with Bangladesh, particularly in inaccessible areas of the Indian part of the Sundarbans.
Speaking on the occasion at Hingalganj, he said "be it the deserts of Rajasthan, the Rann of Kutch (in Gujarat) or preventing crocodile infiltration in the Sundarbans in West Bengal, your passion keeps the nation safe," he told the BSF personnel.
The cost of making each floating BOP is Rs 38 crore and it weighs around 53,000 tonnes. These floating BOPs are equipped with modern facilities and safety equipment and the front section of these BOPs are bullet-proof.
Arrangements have been made for plenty of food supplies and these BOPs can float with a diesel-generation set without re-fuelling for a month.
A BOP is accompanied by six small boats and it has adequate arrangements to prevent both infiltration and smuggling.