Only eight applied for citizenship under CAA in Assam: CM Himanta
The Assam Chief minister quipped that if around one lakh people apply, it would be a face-saver for the government, which backed CAA, and those who opposed it.
GUWAHATI: Four months elapsed since the Centre notified the rules for the implementation of contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) but only eight persons applied for citizenship in Assam under this amended law.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media on Monday that of the eight, only two appeared for the “interview”.
He quipped that if around one lakh people apply, it would be a face-saver for the government, which backed CAA, and those who opposed it. He recalled that five persons had lost their lives during the anti-CAA protests in the state.
In March, the Centre had launched a portal for people to apply for citizenship under CAA. People from six non-Muslim communities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who entered India till December 31, 2014, can apply for citizenship under CAA.
“People who came to India before 2015 have the first right to apply for citizenship under CAA. If they do not apply, we will lodge a case against them while proceedings will continue against them in the foreigners’ tribunals (FTs),” Sarma said.
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