Shah rules out withdrawal of New Citizenship Law |
Indian Minister for Home Affairs, Amit Shah has ruled out withdrawal of Citizenship Amendment Act amidst opposition by various political parties and student groups. The Home Minister reiterated that there will not be any injustice to any citizen of India. Addressing a function in New Delhi, the Home Minister asserted that Government is committed to giving citizenship and dignified life to refugees persecuted for the last 70 years. He also mentioned that giving citizenship to refugees was part of the Nehru - Liaquat Pact which is being implemented under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. The Act which has been given assent by the President, seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants of six communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship. The communities are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians. The legislation relaxes the 11-year criteria for citizenship to six years for refugees belonging to these six religions. It also proposes to give immunity to such refugees facing legal cases after being found illegal migrants. This is not applicable to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and in the areas covered under the Inner Line Permit. The ILP is applicable in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.
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