'Refugees in India won't face any problems due to NRC'

BJP President Amit Shah on Monday said the refugees in Bengal and elsewhere in the country will not face any problems due to the implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC), as all of them will be given Indian citizenship through the Citizenship Amendment Bill before that.

"The Hindu refugees in Bengal will not face any problems. The Citizenship Bill will be brought in first to ensure citizenship is given to all the refugees. After that NRC will be implemented.

"That's why the refugees do not need to worry but those who are infiltrators should be worried," Shah told the media here.

"NRC will be implemented across the country. It is not just for Bengal. Infiltration is a major national issue. In Bengal it can have a greater implication as it is a bordering state," he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party chief also urged the media to take an active role in clearing out the confusion and help in reducing the unnecessary fear over the NRC issue.

Noting the Citizenship Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha due to opposition by certain political outfits including Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party Trinamool Congress, Shah said there will be no problems in passing the bill after the 2019 polls as the statistical equation in the Rajya Sabha will change.

"The bill clearly states that the religious minorities from other countries, who have taken refuge in India to protect themselves and their religion, will be given citizenship in India. They can be Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians or Buddhists. The BJP government would ensure their citizenship rights here.

"This bill could not be passed yet in the Rajya Sabha due to leaders like Mamata Banerjee. But the equation and statistics in the Rajya Sabha will change in 2020. We will pass this bill and ensure citizenship for all the refugees here," he added.

--IANS

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