New Delhi, Jan. 9 (IANS): Commenting on the reports of violence in the north-eastern states as a result of the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 being passed in the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that "misconception" is being spread about the Bill.
He said the Bill, which seeks to remove hurdles in the way of eligible migrants from six minority groups from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan getting Indian citizenship, was not confined to Assam or the north-eastern states but will apply to all states and union territories.
"The burden of these persecuted migrants will be shared by the whole country. Assam and north-eastern states alone would not have to bear the entire burden and the government is committed to providing all help to the state government and the people of Assam. The purpose is that the migrants facing persecution anywhere in the country can apply for Indian citizenship. After that they can live in any state of the country like an Indian citizen," the Minister said.
His statement came after violent incidents were reported from some north-eastern states, including Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya after the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid objections raised by the opposition parties.
Singh said Assam had been facing illegal migrant problems for several decades and had also witnessed an agitation over the issue during 1979-1985 which led to the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985.
Dispelling the misgivings about the Bill, he highlighted the discrimination and religious persecution faced by minority communities in those countries.
"They have no place to go to except India. The Bill will provide relief to persecuted migrants who have come through western borders of the country to states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and others," he added.
The Bill seeks to enable Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh without valid travel documents or those whose valid documents expired in recent years to acquire Indian citizenship through the process of naturalisation.
Singh said that the Narendra Modi-led Central government had taken steps to properly implement the provisions of the Assam Accord and was effectively implementing the National Register of Citizens.
Speaker tells Centre to stem Assamese anger
The Centre should take immediate steps to stem the situation in Assam arising out of the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Lok Sabha, Assam Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami said on Wednesday.
In remarks that are bound to embarrass the ruling BJP, Goswami said: "I believe that the Central government should take immediate steps to mitigate the ongoing situation in Assam." He said the Bill was enacted without taking the people of Assam into confidence.
Goswami added that the Modi government was seemingly in a hurry to pass the Bill in Parliament.
