Half of Bangladesh‘s citizens would leave the neighbouring country and come over to India if Indian citizenship is promised to them, claimed union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy on Sunday.
A media report quoted union minister Reddy as saying: “Half of Bangladesh will be empty (vacant) if India offers citizenship to them (Bangladeshis).”
He added: “Half of Bangladeshis will come over to India if citizenship is promised (to them). Who will take responsibility? KCR? or Rahul Gandhi?”
While supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Reddy said the refugees and infiltrators should not be treated alike.
Reddy claimed parties such as Congress were seeking citizenship for infiltrators who came from Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Reddy said this while speaking at Santh Ravidas Jayanthi celebrations in Hyderabad.
Stating that the CAA has been brought on humanitarian grounds for certain persecuted communities in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Reddy said some political parties were demanding that citizenship be given to Muslims of those countries as well.
The union minister also challenged Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to prove in what way the CAA goes against the people living in India.
Also read: Telangana Assembly may pass anti-CAA resolution
It may be mentioned Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been vehemently opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.
After Kerala, Punjab, and Rajasthan, the Telangana Assembly is likely to take a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.
Informing this, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently said the state Assembly might pass a resolution against the CAA soon.
The Telangana chief minister informed that he has spoken to his counterparts in other states and he might convene a conclave of regional parties and the chief ministers to oppose the CAA.
The report quoted union minister Reddy as saying: “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 added.
Reddy called Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) a ‘friendly party’ of chief minister Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and accused the former of indulging in vote bank politics.
Reddy said, “I am challenging chief minister KCR to prove that if anyone out of 130 crore citizens of this country is affected by the Citizenship Amendment Act.”