Keypoints:
- The Union home minister made the announcement while courting the Matua community in West Bengal, many of whom are yet to be granted citizenship.
- Shah said that implementation of the law had to be kept in abeyance “after the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020”.
- Shah said its implementation will not impact the citizenship status of Indian minorities.
On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the process of granting Indian citizenships to the refugees under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will begin once the COVID vaccination is completely done. While speaking at the rally in West Bengal, he said that the implementation of the law had to be kept in abeyance “after the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020”.
While addressing a rally in Thakurnagar, the bastion of Matua community, Shah said that, “As soon as the COVID vaccination process ends the process of granting citizenship under CAA will begin. All of you (Matua community) will be respected citizens of this country.”
Matuas are originally from East Pakistan and are Hindus who had migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh. Many of them have been accorded Indian citizenship but a sizeable section of remain refugees.
With an estimated population of 3 million in the state, the Matua community can tilt the scales in in favour of a political party in at least four Lok Sabha seats and more than 30 assembly seats in Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas districts.
Courting the Matua community, Shah said if voted to power, the BJP government will propose renaming the Thaukurnagar railway station ‘Shri Dham Thakurnagar’ after Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, their socio-religious guru.
There were country wide protests against the CAA after it was passed by parliament in December 2019. The law provides a fast-track to citizenship for non-Muslim refugees who have faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. However, there are fears that if seen in consonance with the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens, the CAA could be used to disenfranchise Indian Muslims.
Shah acknowledged these fears, saying, “As the home minister of this country, I want to assure the minorities of India that none of you will lose citizenship. The CAA is about granting citizenship to refugees, it is not about taking away anyone’s citizenship.”
As of December 2020, the home ministry had said that rules governing the Act are still under preparation, a year after it was passed by parliament and received the President’s assent.
