Hasina: CAA internal matter of India, but wasn’t required

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 19

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has questioned the rationale behind the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, but stopped short of criticism by maintaining that it is India’s domestic matter.

The CAA gives citizenship to non-Muslims who fled persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before December 2014. Hasina was Prime Minister for 10 years before 2014 and this implies that minorities were persecuted during her premiership as well.

“It is an internal affair. Bangladesh has always maintained that the CAA and NRC are internal matters of India. The Government of India, on its part, has also repeatedly maintained that the NRC is an internal exercise of India and Prime Minister Modi has in person assured me of the same during my visit to New Delhi in October 2019,” the Bangladesh PM said in an interview to a Gulf newspaper during her visit to Abu Dhabi.

“We don’t understand why (the Indian Government) did it. It was not necessary,” she said while denying that there was any reverse migration from India.

Bangladesh has developed deep economic and political ties with India during the decade-long premiership of Sheikh Hasina. Dhaka has signalled its unease over the Assam NRC with the cancellation of its Foreign Minister’s recent visit to Delhi but maintained that this was because of the minister’s busy schedule, which included a pro-India event connected to the 1971 Liberation War.

In tune with this approach, while questioning the need for the CAA, Hasina also underlined the close ties with India in a wide spectrum of areas. India is setting up a coal-fired power plant in Bangladesh, assisting Russia in a nuclear power plant, supplying electricity and has dismantled several trade barriers. Politically, India has backed Hasina’s drive against Islamists, which has been reciprocated with Dhaka turning out North-East insurgents from its soil. The settlement of the boundary issue has minimised border incidents, contributing to stability in Indo-Bangla ties.

Rajasthan too may pass anti-CAA resolution

Jaipur: The Congress-ruled Rajasthan has decided to bring in a resolution against the CAA in the Assembly session beginning January 24. The resolution was likely to be introduced on the first day of the session, making Rajasthan the third state to pass such a resolution. PTI

Kerala Governor seeks report from govt

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has sought a report from the state government for moving the SC against the CAA without informing him. The office of Raj Bhawan has sought the report from the Chief Secretary of the state. PTI

‘566 Muslims got citizenship in 6 years’

Chennai:Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday rejected allegations that the Modi govt was selective in granting citizenship. During the past six years, 2,838 Pakistan nationals, 914 from Afghanistan and 172 from Bangladesh got Indian citizenship. This included 566 Muslims, she said. PTI