Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday granted Indian citizenship to 188 Pakistani Hindus in Ahmedabad under the newly implemented Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), marking a milestone as the first instance of citizenship being conferred in Gujarat.
The moment came as a big relief for those taking refuge in India, after having fled religious persecution in Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Amit Shah said that the government remains steadfast in providing citizenship to the oppressed minorities including Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs from the neighbouring countries and also slammed the appeasement politics of Congress-led INDIA bloc.
Shah stated, “I congratulate these families who got citizenship. I am even happier that this is happening in Gujarat. CAA is an initiative to give people their rights and justice. The Congress party never gave people their rights until 2014. Lakhs and crores of people kept waiting for their rights, but they never got justice under the INDIA bloc.”
Giving a historical context of CAA, Shah added, “Crores of Indians cannot forget the issues faced by people during Partition based on religion. Congress did not give citizenship to our people to appease their vote bank. Our history will always remember this. What was the fault of these people who left their property and came here to save their daughters and wives? The law is to safeguard these people. Crores of Hindus, Jain, and Sikh will get justice through this law.”
He also sought to dispel concerns among the Muslim community, clarifying, “I want to make it clear for my Muslim brothers and sisters that this is not to take anyone’s citizenship but to give them citizenship. Earlier, many people were provoked against this law. No one will have to give up their citizenship. Some people just want to mislead the larger public. Your jobs, house, and citizenship are safe. This law is only to give you justice.”
