'CAA is about Citizenship to refugees,' says MoS Steel Faggan Singh Kulaste

Faggan Singh Kulaste, the Union Minister of State for Steel on Tuesday said that the Citizenship Amendment Act is meant to provide citizenship to the refugees, and it is not against any particular religion. He asserted that there should no confusion over the Indian minorities, as they are safe. Kulaste also said that even after not having a majority in Rajya Sabha, the bill passed in the house.  

Faggan Singh Kulaste on CAA 

Kulaste on the sidelines of Kite Festival in Hyderabad spoke about CAA. He said, "CAA is about Citizenship to the refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It is not against any particular religion or Country. It is for the minorities in those countries. There must not be any confusion regarding Citizenship to those minorities and Citizens in India.”  

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"In the Parliament, we are not holding a majority in Rajya Sabha but still the bill was passed with massive support. This proves that it is not against any Indian Citizen," the leader added. 

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The Citizenship Amendment Act   

The Act seeks to provide citizenship to the minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. This will be applicable to the members of these communities having arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. Moreover, they will not be considered as illegal migrants.   

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Additionally, the mandatory residence period for naturalised citizenship for these communities would be reduced to 6 years. Several parties in the North East such as the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) have been vehemently opposed to this Act. To ameliorate their concerns, the Centre has exempted a major part of the North East from the ambit of the CAA. The opposition contends that the Bill discriminates on the basis of religion, which might go against Article 14, which guarantees the right to equality.     

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(With ANI Inputs)