New Delhi: As the world is watching the Parliamentary proceedings over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (CAB), the official records made a shocking revelation.
Only 2442 legal migrants from three neighbouring countries – Afganistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh – have granted the Indian citizenship by registration under Section 5 and by naturalization under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
The Parliamentary records reveals that 34 Pakistani migrants, who applied for Indian citizenship from Rajasthan, have been granted citizenship as the Union government, in exercise of power conferred on it by section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
The Act specified that the Collectors of 16 districts, including three districts of Rajasthan, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur and Secretary (Home) of seven states would also exercise powers of the Union Government to grant Indian citizenship by registration or naturalization.
These power can be exercised to grant citizenship to legal migrants belonging to six minorities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afganistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Government has already identified that maximum numbers of migrants are residing in 16 districts of seven states.
Exercising these powers, the Government of Rajasthan has granted Indian citizenship to 82 migrants, whereas District Collector of Jodhpur has given citizenship to 1113.
District Collector of Jaipur has granted citizenship to 108 migrants whereas 07 migrants have been received citizenship by District Collector of Jaisalmer, revealed the Parliamentary records.
