CAA dangerous for country’s security… Centre will extend cut-off date for citizenship’: Kejriwal hits out at Amit Shah

Kejriwal was responding to Shah’s statement that he had “lost his composure” and did not know that the people being given citizenship were already living in the country.

Speaking to ANI, Shah had said, “The Delhi CM has lost his composure after his corruption was exposed. He does not know that all these people have already come and live in India. If he is so concerned, why doesn’t he talk about Bangladeshi infiltrators or oppose the Rohingya? He is doing vote bank politics… He has forgotten the background of Partition and should meet the refugee families…”

Kejriwal, meanwhile, alleged that the government could always extend the cut-off date to grant citizenship, which is December 31, 2014, to a later date.

“You (HM Amit Shah) said that people who have come before 2014 will be given citizenship. Did people stop coming after 2014? They are coming, every day. Till now, illegal immigrants were scared of being jailed, deported. Now they will not be scared, you are giving them legal recognition. The message is that India is giving legal recognition to illegal immigrants from these countries. Today, you are talking about the people who came before 2014. Tomorrow you will talk about those who came before 2019. Next, you will extend the cut-off date for eligibility and make it 2024. You spoke about Rohingya. They came when you were in power. They came after 2014. How did they come? Because of your collusion or your incompetence?” Kejriwal said.

The AAP chief also said that the country’s youth will be robbed of jobs if CAA is implemented: “Today, our governments are unable to provide jobs to the youth of the country. You want to bring people from Pakistan, Bangladesh and settle them in the country, how will you give them jobs?… There are around 3 crore minorities in these countries… Coming to India and getting citizenship is like a dream for them. If we open the doors, people will come in large numbers. Even if 1 crore people come, how will we be able to accommodate them?… By giving them citizenship, you are making them eligible for government jobs. Illegal immigrants from Pakistan will now be given government jobs. They will get ration cards. Today, Delhi has around 72 lakh ration card holders and these fall short. Time and again, we write to the Centre to increase the number of ration card holders. The Centre does not do that, but it’s willing to give ration cards to the people coming from Pakistan,” Kejriwal said.

He also said the country’s security will be compromised if CAA is implemented.

“I want to know from the people of the country, will you be agreeable to a jhuggi of immigrants from Pakistan being set up across the road from your house? Who are these people from Pakistan and Bangladesh? Will you be safe? Will the country be safe? Pakistan might send some of its people. This is what I am worried about, Mr Home Minister. Please don’t misunderstand me. Why don’t we learn from other countries? Look at Canada. It was a developed country. It opened its doors and people from across the world came and settled. Now they are stopping migration. Look at UK. Other countries are stopping migration and you are opening your doors to the poor from other countries. Who will worry about the poor in our country?” he said.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, meanwhile, said Kejriwal had lost all empathy: “He doesn’t speak up against atrocities on Hindu and Sikh women in Pakistan and Afghanistan, let alone condemning shameful incidents like the recent desecration of temples… he has lost his moral compass…”

Refugees protest near CM’s home

Hindu and Sikh refugees living in the city held a protest near CM Kejriwal’s Civil Lines residence Thursday, demanding that he apologise for his statements on CAA. They tried to march towards his house but were stopped by police.

Kejriwal, in a post on X, meanwhile, said even though farmers were not allowed to enter Delhi, “Pakistanis” were allowed to protest outside his home. “Pakistanis are allowed to protest outside my house with full police protection and respect, and farmers of this country are not even allowed to come to Delhi? Tear gas shells, sticks, rods and bullets on Indian farmers? And so much respect for Pakistanis?”

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