CAA not to snatch citizenship
Amidst the ongoing protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday said the Act was aimed at giving citizenship, not taking it away.
“We have only brought an amendment to the Citizenship Act and have made it more easier to those who have suffered persecution in Pakistan after the partition of the country, to get Indian citizenship,” Modi said addressing youths at the Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission in West Bengal’s Howrah district.
The Prime Minister, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal, spent last night at Belur Math and yesterday morning addressed youth on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, which is also observed as International Youth Day.
During his half-an-hour address, Modi said that many, including Gandhiji, had said such people who had suffered persecution in neighbouring countries should be granted citizenship.
Exhorting the youth to say whether people who faced religious persecution in neighbouring countries should be left to die or not the Prime Minister said, “We only implemented what the great freedom fighters had wished to do”.
Pointing out that the Centre was trying to resolve a decades-old problem, Modi said that any person irrespective of his or her religion could seek citizenship of the country as per laid down procedures.
“We are not taking anyone’s citizenship. A person irrespective of his or her religion, whether he/ she believes in God or not but has faith in the Constitution of India can seek citizenship under already laid down procedure,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that had his government not brought the CAA, the world would not have taken note of the atrocities committed by Pakistan on its minorities.
“It is the result of our initiative that Pakistan has to answer how they treated their minorities in the past 70 years.”
The Centre had made provisions that the CAA would not have any “adverse impact on the demography and culture” of the northeastern States.
“Some people are creating misconceptions on the CAA for political reasons,” he said, adding that the youth in the country would help in doing away with these misconceptions.
“A lot of youth in the country are aware but there are some who suffer from misconceptions. We will have to make them understand,” Modi said.
The remarks by the Prime Minister assume significance as there was widespread protest in Kolkata against the CAA during his visit.
A section of students and people held overnight protests at Dorina Crossing at Esplanade over the CAA and the NRC. Thousands of protesters remained at the venue till yesterday morning to tell India’s leader he was unwelcome in Kolkata.
Police said nearly 30,000 protesters took to the streets of Kolkata to denounce Modi’s visit, with many linking hands to form human chains that spanned miles through the streets of the eastern megacity.
“What we are fighting for is the future of India,” Surita Roy, a woman who joined the rally, told AFP.
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