Congress’ Appeasement Politics Denied Citizenship to Hindu Refugees: Amit Shah
Home Minister says Centre committed to granting citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries.
Dehradun, Mar 8: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday accused the Indian National Congress of denying citizenship to refugees belonging to minority communities due to what he described as its “appeasement politics”.
Addressing the ‘Jan Jan Ki Sarkar, Chaar Saal Bemisal’ programme in Uttarakhand, organised to mark four years of the government led by Pushkar Singh Dhami, Shah said the Centre remains committed to granting Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries.
He said refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain communities have the same right to live in India and asserted that the government would continue with the process of granting them citizenship despite opposition from political rivals.
The Home Minister also congratulated 162 refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan who received citizenship certificates during the event, describing it as evidence of the government’s resolve to provide shelter to those facing religious persecution.
Referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act, Shah said the legislation aims to provide legal recognition and protection to minority communities who migrated to India after facing discrimination in neighbouring nations.
He further claimed that authorities in Uttarakhand had removed encroachments by thousands of illegal migrants and said the Centre would take firm action against infiltration across the country.
Shah also spoke about the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand, stating that it would help ensure uniform legal provisions for citizens regardless of religion.
Highlighting the achievements of the government led by Narendra Modi, he referred to the abrogation of Article 370, the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the construction of the Ram Temple as major milestones.
During his visit, the Home Minister also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for several development projects worth over ₹1,100 crore in the state.
