Guwahati, March 14: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday claimed that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be completely insignificant in Assam as the number of applications for Indian citizenship under the legislation would be negligible.
Addressing mediapersons here, Sarma said that the Union ministry of home affairs had on Tuesday launched a portal for people eligible to apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019.
“We have seen that 17 applicants on the portal have been granted citizenship in Gujarat till yesterday. But in Assam, we have not seen any fresh applications so far (since the portal was launched) even as I can foresee that the number of applications in our state will be negligible as the ecosystem here is very strong. Assam is used as a corridor only; people enter and exit. So, I am not very enthusiastic about the anti-CAA movement,” the chief minister said.
Notably, the Centre had on Monday notified the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA-2019). The rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, will enable minorities, persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, to acquire citizenship in India.
Sarma further said that the persons, who had claimed that there would be an influx of lakhs of foreigners in India via CAA, would have to be answerable to the people of the state once things become transparent in regard to the number of applicants for citizenship through the portal.
The chief minister further reiterated that no non-NRC (National Register of Citizens) applicant” will get citizenship in Assam under CAA.
Law is very clear. You have to give evidence that you have been residing in Assam prior to December 31, 2014 to be eligible for applying. In our state, NRC will be the evidence. If people have not applied for NRC, it becomes evident that they have not been residing in the state before the cut-off date, and hence, cannot get citizenship. So, let the data in regard to the applicants come out after 45 days. Let me reiterate that no new entrant can apply for citizenship under CAA,” he said.
The chief minister had earlier said that applications for citizenship under the Act could be made online from home.
“So, there is no point in people coming out on the streets to protest against CAA.” he told media persons.