Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is insignificant and will not have any specific impact on the state. This is because there will be the "least number of applicants" for Indian citizenship from Assam.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs launched a portal for eligible people to apply for Indian citizenship under the recently implemented CAA.
Addressing a presser, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "CAA is completely insignificant in Assam; the state will have the least number of applications on the portal."
The Centre had on Monday implemented CAA after notifying the rules to enable the granting of citizenship to persecuted and undocumented non-Muslim religious minority migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.
The Act clearly states that the cut-off date for application of citizenship is December 31, 2014. In Assam, people who applied for the updated National Register of Citizens and did not find their names on the list, will only apply for CAA, said Sarma.
Speaking further, he stressed that BJP will win 13 out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return for a third term after the Lok Sabha polls subside, Sarma further asserted.
He said, "This time, the BJP is contesting elections in a disciplined way. BJP and its allies will take up a crucial role in this election. We are trying to direct the campaigning positively. We will keep development on the forefront during our campaigning."
"Our coalition will be victorious in 13 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam and Narendra Modi will assume office of the Prime Minister for a third term. He has visited Assam 27 times. This election will be between Modi and Rahul Gandhi. Under Modiji's guidance, Assam will go a long way," added the Assam Chief Minister.
