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Published 21:28 IST, December 18th 2019

India slams Pakistan at Global Refugee Forum, Geneva; highlights reduction in minorities

Slamming Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's statements on India and its refugees, India rejected Khan's 'unwanted and gratuitous' comments at refugee forum

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Slamming Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's statements on India and its refugees, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Offices in Geneva Rajiv K Chander on Wednesday said that India rejected Khan's 'unwanted and gratuitous' comments on the issue at the First Global Refugee Forum. India has stated that Khan's statements based on a poor understanding of co-convenership. India has also that this was Pakistan's attempt to interfere into India's internal affairs, present an alarmist situation - abusing the international fora.

India slams Pak: 'Dismal attempt to interfere into India's internal affairs'

"We categorically and unequivocally reject the unwarranted and gratuitous comments made in this forum by the Prime Minister of Pakistan which only reflects visceral and pathological prejudice against India. It is another dismal attempt by Pakistan to interfere in the internal affairs of India; to present an alarmist situation region and abuse international fora," stated Chander. He added that India has welcomed refugees from all over the world citing the examples of Zorastrians, Bangladeshis, Jews.

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India highlights Pak's dismal minority stats

Highlighting Pakistan's dismal protection of minorities, Chander stated that Pakistan's minority community from 23% in 1947 to 3% today by subjecting them to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions. Comparatively, he stated that the Indian government was dealing with this problem democratically - through due process. Moreover, Chander pointed out that Indian citizens did not need anyone to speak on their behalf - 'least of all those who have built an industry of terrorism from the ideology of hate'.

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Imran Khan fearmongers on CAA and NRC

Earlier on Tuesday, Imran Khan had fearmongered that 'Pakistan was not only worried about refugee crisis buta also a conflict between two nuclear-armed countries,' at the same forum. Commenting on India's National Registry of Citizens, he said that of '2-3% of 200 million Muslims could not prove citizenship, where will they go?', adding it would allegedly lead to riots and Pakistan could not accommodate them. He further claimed falsely that India's amended Citizenship Act had mandated the Muslims to prove their citizenship or risk losing it.

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NRC Final List: Assam govt publishes status of all applicants online

What is the CAA & NRC?

The Act passed by both parliamentary houses in the Winter session amends the Citizenship Act 1955 to make refugees who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship. While the NRC which was first prepared in 1951 under the purview of the Census Act, 1948 - a resident of Assam has to prove that they or their ancestors entered Assam before midnight on March 24, 1971. On August 31, the National Registry of Citizens (NRC) state coordinator's office released the final NRC list. 3,11,21,004 Assam residents have been found eligible, while 19,06,657 Assam residents have been found ineligible. The Centre has said that those failing to do so may not be deported.

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21:16 IST, December 18th 2019