Gazette notification for CAA issued, all UP District Magistrate's directed to prepare list: Shrikant Sharma

Uttar Pradesh Minister Shrikant Sharma on Tuesday said that the Gazette notification for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been issued and all district magistrate's of the state have been asked to prepare a list soon.

"Gazette notification for CAA has been issued. The Chief Minister has directed all District Magistrates to prepare a list soon. We are distributing pamphlets in Hindi and Urdu languages urging people to register. So far, the names of 32,000 people have appeared based on a recent survey,' said Sharma while speaking to ANI.

"We are giving citizenship and not taking it from anyone. This process is going on at a fast pace. People have rejected Congress party, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statements should not be taken seriously. Congress is misleading the students and this party does not have a future," he added.

The Minister further stated that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a 'non-serious' politician and he is doing a 'timepass' politics.

"We challenge Congress to directly fight with us but they should not play with the futures of the students. Congress has no future but the students have," he added.

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.