Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 24: While reacting to the ongoing misinformation campaign launched by the opposition with regard to Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 an often quoted irrelevant question regarding exclusion of Rohingyas and Tamils from the Act, BJP spokesperson, Brig (retd) Anil Gupta said “The question is irrelevant because these two are not the minorities in the three theocratic states mentioned in the Act.”
In a statement issued here, today he said it is becoming very popular to label it as discriminatory which is not fact basically. “The Act pertains to persecuted minorities of Islamic Republics of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh,” added Brig Gupta.
Clarifying further, Brig Gupta said, “The Rohingya from Myanmar cannot count as they have infiltrated via Bangladesh and it was the responsibility of that country to take them in. India is thus not the first country of refugee. Moreover, Rohingyas have not been accepted by the Muslim countries like Malaysia and Bangladesh. The Home Minister of Bangladesh has labelled them as ‘a threat to internal peace and national security’. In 1940s, the Rohingyas demanded secession from the main land and wanted to establish an “Islamic State” in the Rakhine province of Myanmar.” With these credentials, why should the opposition be supporting Indian citizenship for them is a question which the opposition needs to answer to the nation, he added.
“The Tamils also do not fall into this category. They were fighting for a separate homeland and not escaping from religious persecution,” stated Brig Gupta. He said some vested interests have also raised the issue of Ahmadias, “But they (Ahmadias) were the ones who took up arms to establish the State of Pakistan,. They made a choice to live in an Islamic State. Ahmadiyas formed a separate Furqan Battalion to support the Tribal raiders who invaded the State of Jammu & Kashmir in October 1947 at the behest of Pakistan”.
He said In any case, they are well off in Pakistan and their population has shown a perceptible increase, unlike that of the Hindus and other minorities who have practically been decimated.
He said Ahmadiyas have settled in more than 200 nations across the Globe and are four million strong in Pakistan. They are well educated and have good jobs compared to the other minorities which were mainly being used for menial tasks and farm labour.”
In any case, there is no restriction on Muslims or other citizens of other countries for applying for Indian citizenship which can be granted to them under section 6 of the Citizenship Act,1955, asserted Brig Gupta. Thus, any form of misgiving and propaganda being spread in this regard is malicious, aimed at creating communal rift and demonstrate opposition’s ill intent, he added.
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