‘Both Muslims and Hindus of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are our own’: Amit Shah
New Delhi: Speaking at India Today Conclave 2024, Amit Shah said it was unfortunate that the country witnessed a religion-based partition (in 1947).
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in his first comments since the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, said that both “Muslims and Hindus of Pakistan occupied Kashmir are our own”.
The CAA’s implementation will enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in India, who entered the borders legally or illegally before December 31, 2014 and have stayed in the country for at least five years.
Speaking at India Today Conclave 2024, Amit Shah said Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) “is a part of India”. He further said both “Muslims and Hindus in POK are part of India”. His comments came on a query about “Muslims facing atrocities in Balochistan and their exclusion from the scope of the CAA”.
Shah also said it was unfortunate that India witnessed a religion-based partition (in 1947). He implied that the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 will come as a rescue for minorities who have faced persecution in the three neighbouring countries.
“At the time of independence, there were 23 per cent of Hindus in Pakistan. Today, there are 2.7 per cent. Where did they go? What happened to them? I will tell you, that minor girls were forced into marriage for religious conversion, they faced atrocities. Either they migrated to India. They took refuge in India to save the modesty of their mothers, why should we not give them nationality?” Shah replied to a query about why the Muslim community has been ejected from the scope of CAA.
“The three countries (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh) which we have included in the CAA are declared Islamic countries, so where will they (persecuted minorities) go,” the Union Home Minister said.
Further, Shah said that policies and “such big decisions” (CAA) do not come into force by taking into account “a couple of” instances. He said that such policies are drafted to redress and find solutions to “major problems”.
“If any other communities like Baloch approach us in future, we will think about it. But why should we neglect the existing ordeal of persecuted people in that bid?” Shah said.
(Courtesy India Today)