Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Asserts Citizenship Amendment Act Insignificant in State

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) holds minimal relevance in Assam, projecting the state to have the lowest number of applications for Indian citizenship. This statement comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced a portal on Tuesday for individuals eligible to seek Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019.

CAA is completely insignificant in Assam; the state will have the least number of applications on the portal, Sarma told a press conference here.

On Monday, the Central government enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), unveiling the regulations aimed at expediting citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India prior to December 31, 2014.

Sarma said the act is very clear that the cut-off date for application of citizenship is December 31, 2014, and in Assam, with the updation of the National Register of Citizens, people who applied for it and did not find their names in that list, will only apply for CAA.

The Chief Minister further declared that the BJP is poised to secure victory in 13 out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. Additionally, he emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will secure a third term after the Lok Sabha elections.