No citizenship to immigrants unless states on board

In the midst of growing protests in north eastern states against the Citizenship Amendment Bill for non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Indian Home Ministry has sought to assuage concerns saying citizenship would not be granted to any foreigner without the consent of concerned governments in states where the immigrants want to settle.

Home Ministry spokesman Ashok Prasad told reporters here on Tuesday that every application for Indian citizenship will be inquired into by the Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate concerned who will carry out due diligence and submit it to the state government concerned.

The state government also has to conduct an inquiry through its agencies. Only then, an individual will be granted Indian nationality, he said, making it clear that "without the state government's recommendations, no one will be given Indian citizenship,"

Prasad said the Bill does not confer automatic citizenship to anyone nor will anyone become Indian citizen overnight."The mistaken perception about the Bill in the north east is creating insecurity in the region," he added.

He said the state government will have to verify the applicants' claim of having come from the three countries concerned  and that they have suffered religious persecution there.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019, passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and pending in the Rajya Sabha, is facing stiff resistance from a majority of the non-Bangla speaking people of north eastern states and civil society organizations. There are opposed to Indian citizenship to "persecuted" Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.