Citizenship Bill will benefit 1.5 cr people: RSS

The Citizenship Amendment Bill will benefit more than 1.5 crore people in the country, out of which more than 50 per cent are SCs and STs, RSS sources said on Wednesday, asserting that the Sangh will launch a nationwide campaign in favour of the proposed legislation.

Underlining that the bill will have a limited impact in Assam, a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary said only six lakh people will benefit from this, whereas in West Bengal more than 72 lakh will benefit.

Those persecuted Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists who have been staying in the country for a decade will benefit, he said asserting, that they are "natural citizens" of the country.

Blaming partition for persecution of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and other minorities in the neighbouring nation, the functionary said it happened because the country was divided on the basis of religion.

"They are our people and more than 1.5 crore will benefit, out of which more than 50 per cent are Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, who got citizenship, thereafter will get reservation benefits also," sources in the sangh said.

They said a nationwide campaign will be launched which will go to panchayat level to make people aware about the benefits of the legislation.

Explaining the rationale behind the criteria of religion for giving citizenship under the bill, the Sangh functionary said Islam is the state religion of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and Muslims are their "favourite citizens".

The people from Hindu, Sikh and Christian communities are not desired and persecuted, they face atrocities in these three countries because of their religion, he said, emphasising that the people and their ancestors belonged to India.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill which seeks to give citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan was passed by Lok Sabha on Tuesday and was being discussed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.