BJP Minister Shantanu Thakur Says He Will Apply For CAA, TMC Reacts (image-twitter/Shantanu_bjp)
A statement by Union Minister of State Shantanu Thakur has invited controversy. Bangaon MP stated that he would apply for citizenship through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This remark of the BJP leader has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition Trinamool Congress Party (TMC).
Following his statement, the TMC questioned his ministerial post being a non-citizen of India. BJP minister on Saturday explaining the easiness of acquiring citizenship in India, said that one can apply for citizenship by taking a character certificate or papers from any registered social organisations. He then added that he will also apply though it is not necessary as his great-grandmother has already taken citizenship through migration.
Expressing doubt about Thakur’s statement, TMC leader Bratya Basu on Saturday questioned the necessity for the BJP leader to seek citizenship again if he has been a citizen and held a ministerial position for the past few years, reports The Free Press Journal.
Chandrima Bhattacharya, TMC leader, also expressed skepticism on his statement. She while talking to ANI said that they are waiting for the minister to apply because as soon as he applies, he will be no longer a citizen of India.
However, reacting to the comments of the opposition, Shantanu said that his statement about seeking a fresh appeal was a symbolic remark aimed at silencing false propaganda over CAA implementation and setting a precedent.
Thakur, whose ancestors hail from Bangladesh, said that he would apply for citizenship through the law recently notified by the central government.
“I will apply because of the propaganda, what Mamata Banerjee is doing, I want to see if I can be deprived of facilities after being applied for citizenship,” the Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways said.
The CAA, notified by the central government on March 11, facilitates faster citizenship for immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, but restricts it to individuals who are Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian.
The law has attracted criticism across the country as well as foreign countries stating it to be a discriminatory law for excluding individuals from the Muslim community.
