NEW DELHI: A day after the Rajya Sabha passed the Citizen Amendment Bill making the process of securing Indian citizenship easier for non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, several Delhi BJP leaders met Hindu refugees from Pakistan on Thursday. The Lok Sabha had cleared the Bill on Monday.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari met the refugee families in north Delhi’s Majnu Ka Tila and celebrated the passage of the Bill with them. He also accused the opposition of spreading rumours that the Bill was against Muslims living in the country. “It is not against the Muslims living in the country. It is a humane bill that will alleviate the pain of around one crore minorities from the neighbouring countries who have taken refuge in India,” he claimed.
The party leaders also celebrated the birth of a girl at the refugee camp, who has been named Nagarikta. “With the passage of the Bill, a wave of happiness can be seen at the Hindu refugee camps,” Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel said. Nearly 200 Hindu refugee families have been living at Majnu Ka Tila for over 10 years.
Union health minister Harsh Vardhan met the refugees in Adarsh Nagar while the leader of opposition in Delhi assembly, Vijender Gupta, met a few families in Rohini.
“Heart warming robust cries of “LONG LIVE MODI JI” resounded in the refugee colonies of my constituency today. Thousands of men & women danced joyfully to the beat of dhols celebrating passage of #CitizenshipAmmendmentBill2019 in Parliament,” Vardhan tweeted after the visit.
Gupta said the refugees would be able to live in an atmosphere of freedom, respect and security and earn their livelihood like the rest of Indians.