'Before NRC, Citizenship Amendment Bill will be passed'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that before conducting National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the country the BJP government at the Centre will bring the Citizenship Amendment Bill and ensure that all the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain who have come to India get citizenship. He also said that not a single infiltrator will be allowed to stay in the country.

“I want to tell you today that before conducting the NRC the BJP government will bring the Citizenship Amendment Bill or CAB. CAB means that all the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain who have come to this country will get Indian citizenship permanently,” said Shah. He was speaking at a conference on NRC in the city.

He also accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the people of the state about NRC by claiming that if NRC is conducted (in Bengal) then the Hindu refugees will have to leave the state.

“The people of West Bengal are being misguided about NRC. I have come here to make the BJP’s stand clear about the issue and tell the truth to the people of Bengal. Mamata di is saying that if NRC is conducted (in Bengal) then lakhs of Hindu refugees will have to leave the state. Nothing can be far from the truth,” said Shah.

Alleging that lies are being spread about NRC in the state, Shah said that Banerjee should not indulge in making jokes about people who have come to India after being cheated and victimised by terror.

“The way this lie is being spread about this sensitive issue I want to tell you (Banerjee) don’t make such jokes about those people who have come here after being cheated and victimised by terror,” said the Home Minister.

Seeking to address the concern among refugees Shag said that they will get as many rights in this country as he gets.

“I want to assure the refugees who have come to India that the Narendra Modi government will bring Citizenship Amendment Bill and after that, you will get as many rights as me in this country. The BJP government will get the right to each and every refugee the right to become the Prime Minister of this country. We will make each and every refugee citizens of this country,” said Shah.

He also accused the TMC of not allowing the Rajya Sabha to function when the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

“They (TMC MPs) don't allow the Citizenship Amendment Bill to be passed, as a result of which the refugees whether belonging to the Matua or other communities have not been able to become citizens of this country. The TMC’s opposition is the reason behind it,” he said.

Shah also said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill will be passed regardless of the TMC’s opposition. He argued that no country can progress with such a huge burden of infiltrators and it would be harmful for the country and Bengal if the issue is not addressed swiftly. Shah also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the abrogation of Article 370.