"Exactly why citizenship law was necessary": Hardeep Singh Puri on Afghanistan crisis

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"Exactly why citizenship law was necessary": Hardeep Singh Puri on Afghanistan crisis (Image: facebook/HardeepSPuri)
"Exactly why citizenship law was necessary": Hardeep Singh Puri on Afghanistan crisis (Image: facebook/HardeepSPuri)

New Delhi : Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday explained the importance of citizenship law, citing an example of what is happening during the evacuations from Afghanistan. The criticized and protested citizenship law in India allows citizenship to persecuted non-Muslims in neighbouring Muslim majority nations who reached India before 2015.

"Recent developments in our volatile neighbourhood & the way Sikhs & Hindus are going through a harrowing time are precisely why it was necessary to enact the Citizenship Amendment Act," Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted.



Earlier on the day, 168 people, 28 of them Afghan nationals including two senators desperate to flee the Taliban, landed in India. 

"India must not only protect our citizens, but also provide refuge to Sikh and Hindu minorities who want to come to India. We must also provide all possible help to our Afghan brothers and sisters who are looking towards India for assistance," Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quoted as saying at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Security last week.

Citizenship Law of India

The law was passed by the government in December 2019. It provides citizenship for non-Muslim minorities from Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan if they fled due to religious persecution and entered India before 2015.

The law came into force from January 10, 2020. But the rules under the law are yet to be notified and citizenship to the eligible beneficiaries will be given after these rules are formed.

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