NEW DELHI – India’s home affairs minister on Sunday said his government”will not allow a single illegal immigrant to stay”, as he visited Assamstate where a controversial citizenship register sparked uproar from thealmost two million people excluded.
The register, feared to be a cover for the ruling Hindu-nationalistBharatiya Janata Party to expel Muslims, has ensnared many Muslims as wellas the Hindus who are a vote bank for the party.
Senior figures in the party had shied away from commenting on the list,published on August 30 and which sparked an outcry from local BJP leadersover Hindus who were omitted.
The home affairs ministry, paraphrasing a speech by Home Affairs MinisterAmit Shah in the northeastern state, said he was satisfied with the “timelycompletion of the process”.
“Shah… also added that the government will not allow a single illegalimmigrant to stay back in the country,” the statement said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had backed the National Registerof Citizens (NRC), saying it was aimed at weeding out “foreigninfiltrators”.
Shah, Modi’s right-hand man, previously said India must act against”infiltrators who were eating the country like termites”.
During his visit, Shah was expected to be pressed by the local BJPleadership for his government to pass legislation to protect the rights ofwhat it says are genuine citizens excluded from the list.
While there are no clear answers as to how or why individuals have beenincluded or excluded, bureaucratic bungling amid the mountains of paperworkappears to be one factor.[image: India’s Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah (C) gestures during hisvisit to the northeastern state of Assam, which is largely surrounded byBangladesh and has long seen influxes of migrants (AFP Photo/Biju BORO)]India’s Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah (C) gestures during his visit tothe northeastern state of Assam, which is largely surrounded by Bangladeshand has long seen influxes of migrants (AFP Photo/Biju BORO)
– Local culture –
Assam, a poor and isolated state of 33 million, is largely surrounded byBangladesh and has long seen influxes of migrants.
But under the NRC, only those who can demonstrate they or their forebearswere in India before 1971 can be included in the list.
Shah did not make further comments about the NRC. Those left off theregister have 120 days to appeal at Foreigners Tribunals, and if they fail,they can appeal that decision through the courts.
The national government has stressed that those omitted will not becomestateless.
Touching on New Delhi’s contentious move on August 5 to strip autonomystatus from the part of Muslim-majority Kashmir it controls, Shah stressedhis government would not revoke another constitutional clause for severalstates — most in the northeast.
The Article 371 clause, which also covers Assam, is aimed at preserving thelocal culture of those states.
“I have clarified in parliament that this is not going to happen and I amsaying it again today in Assam,” he said.
Opposition politicians had questioned Modi’s government on whether thosespecial rights would also be scrapped after the Kashmir move.
Under its previous autonomy, Kashmiris enjoyed special privileges such asthe sole right to own land or take government jobs and universityscholarships.
New Delhi has yet to lift a strict lockdown in the restive valley imposedjust ahead of the decision to prevent any outbreaks of unrest. -APP/AFP