GUWAHATI: Asaduddin Owaisi, Lok Sabha MP and leader of AIMIM, raised concerns regarding the status of approximately 1.5 lakh Muslims who purportedly were excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam following the implementation of the citizenship amendment act (CAA).
During a public gathering in Hyderabad, Owaisi questioned the fate of these Muslims, contrasting Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s assurance of Indian citizenship for the 12 lakh Hindus omitted from the NRC with no such provision for the Muslim population.
He emphasized that these Muslims could potentially face scrutiny and be required to prove their lineage dating back to 1962 or even 1951 at the Foreigners’ Tribunal.
Expressing scepticism over the BJP’s reassurances that resident Muslims would remain unaffected by the CAA, Owaisi cautioned that such scenarios might unfold gradually despite initial assurances to the contrary.
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Highlighting statements made by union home minister Amit Shah regarding the implementation of the CAA, National Population Register (NPR), and NRC, Owaisi reiterated concerns about the future implications of these initiatives.
Regarding the NRC exercise in Assam, Owaisi referenced the significant number of individuals, including Hindus and Muslims, excluded from the final list, questioning the methodology and potential biases in the process.
While acknowledging the need to offer citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries, Owaisi stressed the importance of a non-discriminatory approach based on religion.
The union home ministry recently notified the rules for implementing the CAA, which aims to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from select countries who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.