Chennai: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday disclosed the number of refugees from three neighbouring countries who got citizenship during the last six years.
“In the last six years, as many as 2838 Pakistani refugees, 914 Afghanistani refugees, 172 Bangladeshi refugees including Muslims have been given Indian citizenship. From 1964 to 2008, more than 4,00,000 Tamils (from Sri Lanka) have been given Indian citizenship,” Sitharaman said at ‘Programme on Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019’.
“Till 2014, over 566 Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were given Indian citizenship. During 2016-18 under Modi government, around 1595 Pakistani migrants and 391 Afghanistani Muslims were given Indian citizenship,” she added.
The minister further 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.”
Nirmala Sitharaman reiterated, “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 Minister also accused those raising false allegations against NPR.
“The National Population Register (NPR) will be updated every 10 years and is not involved with the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Some are involved in raising false allegations and triggering people unnecessarily without any base,” she said.
