MHA says data of applicants for citizenship under CAA not readily available
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has stated that information regarding applicants who became Indian citizens under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019 is not readily available. This was disclosed in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by The Hindu. The MHA explained that only the readily available information can be provided, and as per the RTI Act of 2005, the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) is not required to create or compile data specifically for the purpose of responding to an RTI request.
The Citizenship Amendment Act, passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, allows undocumented migrants from six non-Muslim communities—Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian—from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to seek Indian citizenship. The Act covers those who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, and reduces the required residence period for citizenship from 11 years to five years.
In a previous RTI response dated April 15, 2024, the MHA had clarified that there is no provision under the Citizenship Act of 1955, or its amendment in 2019, to maintain records of applications submitted under the CAA. This meant that the Ministry does not have a detailed or accessible database for the number of applications or their status. This position was reiterated in response to another RTI filed by Maharashtra resident Ajay Bose, where the MHA confirmed that it does not maintain records as requested, and thus the information should be considered "NIL."
The exact number of beneficiaries under the CAA remains unknown. During the 2019 parliamentary debate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah suggested that "lakhs and crores" of people would benefit from the Act. However, a report from the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, presented to a parliamentary committee, estimated that around 31,000 people would be the immediate beneficiaries. Specifically, the report stated that 31,313 individuals from minority communities—Hindus (25,447), Sikhs (5,807), Christians (55), Buddhists (2), and Parsis (2)—had been granted long-term visas due to claims of religious persecution in their respective countries. These individuals were seen as immediate candidates for Indian citizenship under the CAA.
Despite the passage of the CAA in 2019, the implementation of the Act faced delays. It was only on March 11, 2024, just days before the announcement of the 2024 general elections, that the MHA notified the CAA Rules, which officially enabled the implementation of the Act. The rules were essential for processing applications under the CAA and formalizing the path to citizenship for the targeted communities.
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Gold crown gifted by PM Modi to Bangladesh temple stolen amid Durga Puja celebrations
Dhaka, Oct 11: A gold crown gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was stolen from a Hindu temple in Bangladesh's southwestern Satkhira district amid Durga Puja celebrations, a theft over which India has expressed concern.
Bangladesh police on Friday said they have identified a man and launched a massive manhunt to recover the gold crown that was stolen from the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple on Thursday.
In a post on 'X', the Indian High Commission in Dhaka expressed deep concern over the theft and called upon the authorities to recover the article and take action against the perpetrators of the crime.
“A massive manhunt is underway to arrest the culprit identified through the CCTV footage,” Satkhira’s police chief Monirul Islam said adding that the police were aware that the issue was sensitive.
The police superintendent said the crown was stolen between 2.47 pm and 2.50 pm on Thursday.
A private news channel showed a young man wearing a white t-shirt and jeans sneaking into the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple and removing the golden part of the crown and pocketing it while nobody was inside the temple.
A woman worker later discovered that the crown was missing from the head of the Kali statue and raised the alarm.
According to Hindu residents of the neighbourhood, priest Dilip Kumar Banerjee went home as per his daily routine after the afternoon puja, leaving the key of the temple with Rekha who was in charge of the temple services.
“It could be a simple case of theft or it could be a case of an orchestrated plot. We demand the matter be investigated properly and the persons involved be brought to justice,” leader of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council Krishna Mukherjee said.
Modi gifted the crown on March 27, 2021, during his Bangladesh visit.
India expressed concern over the incident with its high commission in Dhaka issuing a statement asking authorities to recover the crown and take action against the perpetrators.
"We express concern over the incident and urge the Government of Bangladesh to investigate the theft, recover the crown and take action against the perpetrators," the High Commission said in a Facebook post.
The theft took place even as the country ordered an extra security vigil as the Hindu community’s biggest religious festival Durga Puja is underway.
📹 Kali Jewel Heist Caught on Camera: Crown Gifted by Modi Stolen from Temple in Bangladesh
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) October 11, 2024
Staff at the Jeshoreshwari Temple in Satkhira reported the silver & gold-plated piece gone on Thursday. (Daily Star)
Indian PM Modi presented it as a gift during a visit in 2021. pic.twitter.com/1cmP21ABdL
