Govt mulling to fully implement CAA but there are hurdles: RSS general secretary Hosabale

RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale on Monday said the Central government will not back down on fully implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) but an atmosphere needs to be created to remove certain hurdles standing in the way.

He also claimed that agitations were organised against CAA as part of a conspiracy and misinformation was spread against it across the world.

Addressing a gathering of Hindu migrants from Pakistan in Ahmedabad, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh general secretary urged the people to once again create an atmosphere which would remove all the hurdles coming in the way of the Centre in "fully" implementing the Act.

"CAA was an attempt to fast-track the process of granting citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The idea was to see that there is no waiting period for those minorities who want to come here because of persecution," said Hosabale.

He said the government is definitely mulling to fully implement the Act.

"The government will not back down. But, there are still some hurdles. Thus, we all need to once again create an atmosphere which would remove all those hurdles," said the RSS leader.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act provides for granting Indian citizenship to non-Muslims — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians — coming from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The CAA was passed by the Parliament on December 11, 2019, and the Presidential nod was received the next day. Subsequently, it was notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

However, the law is not implemented as rules under the CAA are yet to be framed.

The event in Ahmedabad was organised by Pakistani-origin Hindu doctors and their families to thank the RSS and the BJP government for ensuring that such doctors get a permanent registration for practising in India after clearing an exam from the National Medical Commission.

The organisers announced that as many as 50 Gujarat-based Pakistani Hindu doctors, who were already awarded Indian citizenship, have cleared the exam conducted a few months back.

Speaking on the occasion, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said in contrast to Hindus who fled from Pakistan, some migrants create trouble in India.

"There are migrants who illegally enter India and pose a threat to the country's internal and external security. On the other side, you have come here with a noble cause as well as a noble profession. You managed to finish your study amid an atmosphere of extremism (in Pakistan)" said the CM.