AZAMGARH, UTTAR PRADESH – Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a public meeting held in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, announced that the process of granting Indian citizenship to refugees has already begun under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
“These are people who have been living in our country for a long time,” said PM Modi. “They are those who had to suffer because of the partition of the country based on religion.”
The Prime Minister criticized the Congress party for their lack of action towards these individuals. He stated, “Those who get to power in the name of Mahatma Gandhi but don’t remember what he used to say… Congress never cared about these people, because they were not the vote bank of Congress.”
This move is seen as a significant step towards addressing the long-standing issue of refugees in India, who have been seeking citizenship rights. The Prime Minister’s statement indicates a shift in the government’s approach towards refugees, focusing on their integration into Indian society.
The CAA, passed in 2019, aims to provide Indian citizenship to refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. The act specifically applies to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from these countries, sparking controversy and widespread protests across the nation.
The Prime Minister’s announcement is expected to have far-reaching implications for the refugees who have been residing in India and have been awaiting recognition of their citizenship status.
