On Sunday in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah handed out citizenship certificates to 188 refugee siblings as part of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The event was attended by figures, including the Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Patel.
During his speech, Shri Amit Shah emphasized that the CAA aims not just to grant citizenship to the refugees residing in the country but also to provide justice and rights to them.
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CAA at a glance
The Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 is intended to modify the Citizenship Act, Passport Act and Foreigners Act concerning immigrants, from minority groups in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. These include Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Christians and Parsis, excluding Muslims. The legislation applies to those who were forced to seek refuge in India due to religious persecution. The legislation aims to safeguard these individuals from migration issues.
While Parliament holds authority to legislate on citizenship matters critics from the opposition and other political factions argue that the governments implementation of this Act violates constitutional principles such, as secularism and equality.
Amit Shah’s latest take on CAA
“CAA is not just to grant citizenship to millions of people living in the country, but it is also to provide them justice and their rights”, said Shri Amit Shah in Gujarat where he distributed 188 citizenship certificates to refugees under the CAA. He stated that, through this law, millions of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh people who did not get justice have now begun to access it.
In his words, the legislations was made in 2019 but after that time people were being agitated and informed that it would deprive Muslims of their citizenships. The Minister of Home Affairs also clarified that there is no single provision in this Act which can take away anyone’s citizenship because it is a law for giving citizenship. To him, countrymen living in destitution in our own country within is even more ironical.
He said that it is because of the appeasement policy of the previous governments, the people who took refuge in the country from before 2014 got neither their rights nor justice, and yearned for it for three generations. He said these people had to endure abuse not only in neighboring countries but also here, in India.
Shri Amit Shah said that the refugees who took shelter in India deserve to live a life with self respect and continue to practice their religion as per their wish, highlighting the principle of secularism. He said that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will bring justice and dignity, as well as absolve them for being victimized.
Shah urged the refugees throughout the country to be careful not to be misinformed by the opposition parties who would try to fool and deceive them. He claimed that those who mislead minority groups should know that they are doing injustice to them. In relation to this law, Shri Shah said while targeting the opposition parties that they didn’t have enough guts to introduce this act but at least now they should come forward in support of Modi government in implementing it.
During the event, he also said “Those who were earlier called refugees have joined the family of Mother India from today.. Those having a refugee status should not fear, they should feel free to apply for citizenship..”. He assured that CAA is about granting citizenship status and not taking it away.
