Guwahati, Sep 3 (PTI) — In Assam, only three foreigners have been granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) from among 12 applications, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday.
While addressing the media during an official event, the Chief Minister stressed the negligible number of applications as a reason to dispel fears that massive numbers of foreigners would become Indian citizens in Assam due to the CAA.
"In Assam, a mere three people have obtained citizenship under the CAA up to now," Sarma stated. He chose not to disclose the countries of origin for these newly naturalized citizens.
Sarma explained that out of 12 total applications received, nine are still pending review.
Addressing the broader opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019, Sarma mentioned, "There was a clamor suggesting that 20-25 lakh people would gain citizenship in Assam. Now, you can judge whether it makes sense to discuss the CAA further, given that we have only received 12 applications."
In August 2024, a 50-year-old man named Dulon Das became the first individual in Assam to be granted citizenship under the CAA.
The CAA offers a pathway to Indian citizenship for Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, after residing in the country for five years.
On March 11 of the previous year, the Indian government took steps to implement the CAA by announcing the rules, four years after the legislation had been enacted by Parliament to expedite the citizenship process for undocumented non-Muslim migrants.
In July of last year, the Assam government directed its border police wing not to forward cases of non-Muslim illegal immigrants who arrived before 2015 to Foreigners Tribunals (FTs), instead advising them to apply for citizenship through the CAA.
Last month, the state government instructed all districts to withdraw ongoing cases involving suspected non-Muslim illegal foreigners who entered before 2015 from the FTs, following the implementation of the CAA.
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