"Mamata does not understand difference between refugees and infiltrators": Amit Shah

New Delhi [India], March 14 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah questioned the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her strident opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act, rules of which were promulgated on Monday. Shah said that the Trinamool Congress Chief does not understand the difference between refugees and infiltrators.
In an interview with ANI Amit Shah said, "I want to appeal to Mamata Banerjee. There are several forums for politics. Please don't oppose Bengali Hindus who came from Bangladesh. You yourself are a Bengali. I am giving her an open challenge and she must tell us which clause in this act is snatching away the citizenship of anyone. She is just creating fear and creating a division between Hindus and Muslims to consolidate the vote bank."
"You are doing politics on an important issue of national security. People won't stand with you. Mamata does not understand the difference between refugees and infiltrators," he added.
The West Bengal Chief Minister had said that she will not allow the CAA, which she dubbed as a gimmick," to come into force in her state and asked people not to apply for citizenship saying that by doing so they will fall into the category of "illegal migrants" and will be stripped off their rights.
Meanwhile, the Union Home Minister also lashed out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for raising objections to the law that will provide citizenship to refugees. Terming the government's decision as "very dangerous," Kejriwal had said that CAA was not in favour of the country and claimed that it would result in more and more migration from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. When such a large number of people will suddenly arrive they will need a place to settle and it will, the Delhi CM alleged, likely lead to a situation of chaos leading to a collapse of law and order, and crimes like theft, robberies and rape may rise in the county.
Responding to the allegations by the AAP convenor, the Union Home Minister said that if Kejriwal is genuinely concerned about national security then he should address the issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators.
"He (Kerjiwal) is unaware that all these people have already taken refuge in our country. They are living in India. Those who arrived in our country by 2014 will get citizenship," Shah said.
"And if he is concerned, why does he not talk about Bangladeshi infiltrators? Why does he not protest against Rohingyas? It is because they are doing vote-bank politics. He will face a very tough time during elections in Delhi that is why he is doing vote-bank politics. Are Rohingyas and Bangladeshi infiltrators not taking our jobs? He is just raising his voice against minorities of Jains, Buddhists, and Parsis," the Union Minister further said.
Amit Shah further said that Kejriwal has no sympathy for those who came here after being persecuted in their countries.
"They have forgotten the background of the Partition. These refugees came here after leaving their property worth millions behind. Why won't we listen to their problems? They don't get jobs and education here. Why won't we express sympathy with them? It was not their decision to partition the country. It was the Congress which decided that and they promised them citizenship. Now they are backtracking on their promises," he said.
On March 11, the Union Home Ministry notified rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule.
The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government and passed by Parliament in 2019, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants--including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians--who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.