'Number of people eligible under CAA not fixed yet'

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday said the exact data for determining the number of eligible refugees for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was yet to be prepared He said the data was not prepared yet even as the Centre would engage in talks with various state governments which have been opposing the implementation of the CAA in their states, including the North-East.

The full-fledged numbers (eligible persons for citizenship) have not yet come. After rules and regulations (of the Act) were framed, the data and number of application will be prepared. There are number of people in Kolkata, West Bengal and Assam," he said.

As of now I don't have the exact figures, Reddy told reporters in 'Meet the Press' here replying to a query on the number of eligible people for citizenship under CAA.

I am fully confident the state governments which are opposing the CAA will realise the facts about it. This Act was passed by Parliament. The whole country will have to follow the laws passed by Parliament I will talk to them," he said.

"We will send delegations to the states and make them understand. It is their responsibility to implement it, he added.

According to him, the CAA is not against any religion and no Indian citizen would be affected by it. Narrating statistics, he said there used by about 70 lakh Hindus earlier in Afghanistan and the figure came down to just 7,000 now and out of 70 lakh, 21 lakh Sikh population came to India.

On the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said the curfew was lifted in 99 per cent of the state and gram panchayats in that region have started receiving funds from the Centre after the abrogation of Article 370.

He said the Centre has to defer the conduct of investors meet in Kashmir owing to the false propaganda undertaken by certain elements that the peoples land would be given to industries.

"We are in the process of identifying the government land there. The state needs industrial development. All the union ministers are also planning to visit the state soon (to instil confidence among the Kashmir people), he said, adding that the visit could be either month or next month.

On the unrest and violence in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, he said the inquiry was on to nab the perpetrators involved in the attack.

The Delhi police are investigating and once it is over, they will present the truth before the public, he said.