Will enact CAA after COVID vaccination ends, promises Amit Shah

GUWAHATI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Thursday said the process of granting Indian citizenship to refugees under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), including to the Matua community of West Bengal, will begin once the process of Covid-19 vaccination has come to a halt.

Shah said that the implementation of the controversial act was delayed after the country was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

"As soon as the Covid-19 vaccination process ends the process of granting citizenship under CAA will begin," he said, addressing a rally in West Bengal today to woo the Matua refugees which forms a large chunk of the population in the state.

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Originally hailing from East Pakistan, the Maatuas are a weaker section of Hindus who 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 the population has not.

Slamming opposition leaders for "misleading the public", Shah said its implementation will not impact the citizenship status of Indian minorities.

Stating that the "BJP always fulfils the promises it makes", Shah stated that the saffron party has brought the law and refugees will get citizenship.

"Mamata Banerjee will not be in a position to oppose the implementation of the CAA as she will cease to be the chief minister after the assembly polls likely in April-May this year," Shah added.