2838 Pakistanis,914 Afghans,172 Bangladeshis given Indian citizenship in last 6 years

Chennai: Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said that 2838 people from Pakistan have been conferred Indian citizenship in the last six years.The statement came amidst protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 which is allegedly creating discrimination on the basis of religion while conferring citizenship to immigrants from neighboring countries.

”In the last six years, as many as 2838 Pakistani, refugees, 914 Afghan refugees,172 Bangladeshi refugees including Muslims have been given Indian Citizenship. From 1964 to 2008, more than 4,00,000 Tamils (from Sri Lanka) have been given Indian Citizenship,” Sitharaman said at ‘Programme on citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019′ event here.

The Minister added that Till 2014, over 566 Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan had been given Indian citizenship. During 2016-18 under Modi government, around 1595 Pakistani migrants and 391 Afghanistani Muslims had been given Indian citizenship and she further said government is not snatching away anyone’s citizenship and Citizenship (Amendment) Act is an attempt to provide people with a better life. ”We are not snatching away anyone’s citizenship, we are only providing them that.’ She added.

‘The National Population Register (NPR) will be updated every 10 years and is not involved with the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Some are involved in raising false allegations and triggering people unnecessarily without any base,’ she said.