BJP minister’s outrageous remark against Bangladesh

Indian Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy on Sunday made an outrageous comment against Bangladesh saying half of the citizens of Bangladesh will leave the country if India offers citizenship to them.

"Half of Bangladesh will be empty (vacant) if India offers citizenship to them (Bangladeshis). Half of Bangladeshis will come over to India if citizenship is promised (to them). Who will take responsibility? K Chandrasekhar Rao? or Rahul Gandhi?," Kishan Reddy said while speaking at Santh Ravidas Jayanthi celebrations in Hyderabad, reports Press Trust of India.    

Kishan Reddy yesterday challenged Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 25 to rethink on the Citizenship Amendment law stating that it was "not at all good for the country, asking him to prove in what way the Citizenship law was against the people living in India.

"They seek citizenship for infiltrators. The Government of India is ready to review the CAA if it has one word against anyone of the 130 crore citizens, but not for Pakistani or Bangladeshi Muslims," Reddy further said.

Asserting that the amendment to the Citizenship Act was introduced on humanitarian grounds for certain persecuted communities in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, the Union Minister said some political parties were demanding that citizenship be given to Muslims of those countries as well.

Pointing out that refugees and infiltrators should not be treated alike, Reddy claimed parties such as Congress are seeking citizenship for infiltrators who came from Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 passed by the India Parliament on December 11, 2019. Under the act, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014, after facing "religious persecution" will be eligible for Indian citizenship. 

The Indian government faced backlash, petition and massive protests from general people, renowned persons and several national/ International organisations before and after the amendment of the act. 

Protests against the citizenship law occurred in at least 94 districts across 14 States of India and deaths of at least 31 people were related to the violence that ensued during the protests.

The United Nations on December 26 last year stated that the act is fundamentally discriminatory and asked the Supreme Court of India to carefully consider the compatibility of the law with India's human rights.