CAA will have no negative socio-economic impact on people, says Tripura BJP chief

Agartala (Tripura) [India], May 26 : Tripura BJP state President Rajib Bhattacharjee said that the Citizenship Amendment Act would never have any negative impact on the socio-economic conditions of the country as the cut-off set for the implementation of the CAA dates back to 2014.
"Ten years have passed already. So, there will be no major socio-economic impact on the lives of people. The Opposition has been trying to instil fear among the people regarding the implementation of the CAA and whatever they have spoken is completely baseless," Bhattacharjee told ANI on Saturday.
"For the last several days, I have seen that the opposition parties have been trying hard to mislead people with twisted interpretations of the law. The notification issued by the central government clearly underscores that people from religious minority communities living in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who had migrated to India would be eligible for citizenship. However, there is a specific cut-off date mentioned in the notification which is of 2014. Those who had migrated to India before that date can only apply for the Citizenship," he added, allaying the fear of the people who had described CAA as a threat to the tribal areas of the state.
Reiterating the centre government's stand on the issue, Bhattacharjee said, "No one from the tribal communities should be afraid of CAA. The central government has made it clear that areas under the sixth schedule are exempted from the purview of the Act."
He said that CAA is not applicable in the areas which fall under the jurisdiction of the Autonomous District Council and places where the Inner Line Permit system is in force.
"I appeal to the opposition parties of Tripura to refrain from such malicious campaigns which in my view tantamount to attacking the democratic consciousness of the people of the state," he said.
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for implementation of the CAA, Bhattacharjee said, "People who have left their homeland just to protect their culture and religious identity should get citizenship of our country. If they are rejected here, where else would they go? I think this new law will strengthen people's faith in our country."
For those seeking Indian citizenship under the CAA, applications can be submitted online through the Citizenship Online website or via a mobile app.
The Act allows Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Parsis, and Buddhists from neighbouring countries (Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan) who entered India before December 31, 2014, to apply for citizenship after verification.