Thakurnagar (West Bengal): Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Thursday the process of granting Indian citizenship to refugees under the CAA will begin once the COVID-19 vaccination ends. Amit Shah also said that the Matua community of West Bengal will also be granted Indian citizenship.
Shah accused the opposition parties of misleading the minorities about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. He said its implementation will not impact the citizenship status of Indian minorities. Shah said the Modi government had in 2018 promised it will bring in a new citizenship law. It kept the promise when the BJP was voted to power in 2019. Shahs said due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, its implementation had to be kept in abeyance.
“Mamata (Banerjee) didi said we made a false promise. She started opposing the CAA and said she will never allow it. The BJP always fulfils the promises it makes. We have brought this law and refugees will get citizenship. As soon as the COVID vaccination process ends the process of granting citizenship under CAA will begin,” Shah asserted. He was addressing a rally here in the bastion of the Matua community.
Matuas, originally from East Pakistan, are weaker section Hindus. They migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh. Many of them have been accorded Indian citizenship but a sizeable section of the population has not.
Shah said Banerjee will not be in a position to oppose the implementation of the CAA. This is because she will cease to be the chief minister after the Assembly polls likely in April-May this year.
