Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah distributed citizenship certificates to 188 refugee sisters-brothers under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Sunday. In his address, Amit Shah said that the CAA is not just to give citizenship to millions of people settled in the country, but to give justice and rights to millions of refugees.
He said that due to the appeasement policy of the previous governments, the people who took refuge in the country from 1947 to 2014 did not get their rights and justice. "These people had to endure abuse not only in neighbouring countries but also here. These millions of people yearned for justice for three generations but due to the appeasement policy of the opposition, they did not get justice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided justice to these lakhs and crores of people," he said.
Union Home Minister, further said that at the time of independence, India was divided on the basis of religion and at that time there were severe riots. He said crores of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Christians living in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh cannot forget their sufferings.
"Many families were left desolated, while, those now in Opposition had then promised that people from Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and Christian communities coming from neighbouring countries would be given citizenship of India. By the time the elections came, the leaders of the then government had reneged on their promises and the assurances made in 1947, 1948 and 1950 were forgotten. The then government did not give citizenship to these people as it would have angered their vote bank. Due to their policy of appeasement, millions of these people were deprived of citizenship and there can be no greater sin than that," Amit Shah said.
He also emphasized that the law is for the people and not the people for the law. He said that we had promised in 2014 that we will bring CAA and in 2019 the Modi government brought this law. "Through this law, crores of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, who did not get justice, started getting justice. This law was passed in 2019 but even after that people were provoked and were told that it would take away the citizenship of Muslims. There is no provision in this law to take anyone's citizenship and it is a law to give citizenship. People of our own country are living in destitution in our own country, what can be more unfortunate and ironic than this?" he said.
Union Home Minister said that there is no provision of any criminal prosecution in this law and everyone has been given amnesty. He said this has been done because the delay in giving citizenship was due to the government and not because of the people. He told the refugees across the country that this law will work to give justice and honour, and will be an atonement for the atrocities that happened to the refugee people.
