Shantanu Thakur says CAA implementation unabated, ‘We never go back on our words!’. The statement comes after he previously claimed that the CAA would be implemented “within a week” on Sunday.
Union minister Shantanu Thakur contended on Saturday, that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be implemented “at the earliest”, adding that those opposing the legislation are doing so for political reasons.
Speaking to the reporters, the Union Minister of State for Shipping and Ports, said, “CAA is the demand of the country… any opposition to the issue (of rolling out CAA) does not matter (to Centre).”
Last Sunday, Thakur had claimed that CAA would be implemented across the country “within a week”, following which, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the BJP “opportunistically raised” the issue of CAA just ahead of the polls.
“With elections approaching, the BJP has again raked up the CAA issue to reap political benefits,” she said, further affirming, “But let me make it very clear that as long as I am alive, I will not allow its implementation in West Bengal.”
On the other hand, Thakur has argued saying, “It has been our promise and we never go back on our words. The Centre will get it done.”
“Those who are opposing the CAA are doing so for political reasons and not taking a sympathetic view of the situation (faced by immigrants displaced from their homes),” he added.
Thakur said CAA implementation remains unabated as both Houses of Parliament have already passed the Bill “which reflected the will of the people”. Moreover, about two months ago, Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra said that the final draft of the CAA would be ready by March 30, 2024.
The CAA was passed by the Parliament on December 11, 2019, and seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
