Amit Shah confusing people by issuing contradictory statements on CAA, alleges District Congress

December 20: Home Minister Amit Shah assured the nation in his speech in Parliament that those persons who took refuge in India as a result of religious persecution from Bangladesh, Afganisthan and Pakistan will be given Indian citizenship. Such persons will be accepted with due honour in India and will not require to produce any document. But surprisingly, yesterday Amit Shah said that Bengali Hindus residing in states where Inner Line Permit (ILP) is applicable will not be accorded citizenship. This was alleged by Sanjeev Roy, Secretary of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) in a press meet held at Silchar.

Sanjeev Roy further stated that Home Minister Amit Shah went to the extent of stating that those Hindu Bengalis dwelling in areas under ILP cannot even claim to get Indian citizenship. Such claims will also not be entertained. He said, “We are surprised that how can a Home Minister change his statement so fast! A week ago he assured citizenship to religious persecuted Hindu Bengalis in Parliament and said that if India does not accept them then where will these people go. But yesterday, he gave a diametrically opposite statement.”

In this regard Mr. Roy stated that Silchar District Congress and former Congress MP Sushmita Dev have stated before media, in parliament, in Delhi and Dispur time and again that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) tabled in Parliament does not contain anything about granting citizenship. He said, “It was at that time that BJP twisted our opinion and publicised that we are opposing the CAB. Interestingly, what we said then is now repeated by the Home Minister himself who said that this Bill cannot assure citizenship.”

He then said that a few days ago state BJP Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a public meeting at Barpeta said that ordinary Hindu Bengali refugees like hand cart pullers and poor vendors will not be able to obtain citizenship. The minister said that for acquiring Indian citizenship, they will have to apply to the office of Deputy Commissioner, then to state government and finally to the central government. Saying so, Sanjeev Roy said, “If Himanta Biswa Sarma knows that such category of people will be unable to obtain Indian citizenship, then whu has his party brought this Act?”

He said, “If this be the state of affairs that lakhs of Hindu Bengali refugees will not even allowed to file claims of Indian citizenship in areas under ILP, then it is proved that our party was saying the same thing in the recent past that the CAB is of no avail? This also proves that the statements issued by our former MP of Silchar is also correct.” He also said that a core committee of the state government is pressuring the concerned committee for implementation of Assam Accord to bring into force the Clause 6 within it. He also alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah has said that every single word of Assam Accord will be implemented. He said, “On one hand the BJP is stating that religiously persecuted Hindu Bengalis will be given citizenship under CAA, but on the other they are stating that Clause 6 will also be implemented in toto. So our question is how can these two things go in hand in hand.”

Also present in the press meet were District Congress President Prodip Kumar Dey, MLA Lakhipur Rajdeep Goala, Rajesh Deb among others.