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172 Bangladeshis receive Indian citizenship in six years

Indian finance minister says


| Updated: January 19, 2020 20:40:53


-Reuters file photo -Reuters file photo

Amid ongoing protests against the new citizenship law in India, the country's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said as many as 172 Bangladeshis received Indian citizenship in six years.

Sitharaman gave the information while addressing 'Programme on Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019' event in Chennai of India on Sunday, reports Times of India.

The Indian finance minister informed that 2,838 people from Pakistan and 914 refugees from Afghanistan were also given Indian citizenship during the same period.

More than 400,000 Tamils from Sri Lanka were given Indian citizenship during 1964 to 2008 period, Sitharaman said.

"Till 2014, over 566 Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were given Indian citizenship. During 2016-18 under Modi government, around 1,595 Pakistani migrants and 391 Afghan Muslims were given Indian citizenship," she said.

"It was also during the same period in 2016, that Adnan Sami was given Indian citizenship. This is an example. Giving citizenship to Taslima Nasreen is another example,” the minister further said.

Sitharaman added that people who came from East Pakistan have been settled at various camps in India.

"They are still there and it's been 50-60 years now. If you visit these camps, your heart will cry. The situation is the same with Sri Lankan refugees who continue to live in camps. They're barred from getting basic facilities," she said.

"This Citizenship (Amendment) Act is an attempt to provide people with a better life. We are not snatching away anyone's citizenship, we are only providing them that," the BJP leader said.

"The National Population Register will be updated every 10 years and is not involved with the National Register of Citizens. Some are involved in raising false allegations and triggering people unnecessarily without any base.”

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