HM Amit Shah defends CAA, demographic shifts in tribute to noted journalist Narendra Mohan

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah underscored that granting citizenship to persecuted minorities—Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis—from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh fulfils a historic promise made by India’s leaders.

It is a commitment realised through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

HM Shah accused opposition parties of spreading misinformation about the CAA, asserting that it corrects decades of governance lapses by offering refuge to those facing religious persecution in neighbouring countries post-independence.

He emphasised that every minority victim of such oppression has a rightful claim to sanctuary in India, drawing a firm line between refugees and infiltrators—those entering illegally for economic or other reasons.

"India is a nation, not a dharamshala," HM Shah declared, stressing the duty to curb illegal entries. He highlighted demographic concerns, noting that while Gujarat and Rajasthan are border states, West Bengal has become a hotspot for infiltration due to "vote bank politics."

HM Shah also criticised the Congress-led partition on religious grounds as a grave error, linking it to current challenges, and advocated for the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as a constitutional mandate to purify voter lists.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah delivered a comprehensive address at the Jagran Sahitya Srijan Samman ceremony, organised by Dainik Jagran to commemorate the birth anniversary of its late editor and author, Narendra Mohan.

HM Shah began by paying tribute to Narendra Mohan, recalling his contributions to journalism and freedom during the Emergency era, when Mohan faced imprisonment for resisting censorship.

Sharing a personal anecdote, HM Shah revealed how he improved his Hindi proficiency during a challenging period in 2010 by translating Dainik Jagran's front page into Gujarati daily for 560 days while staying at Gujarat Bhawan in Delhi.

"This practice strengthened my Hindi, and I credit it to Narendra Mohan ji's legacy," HM Shah said, emphasising the role of literature, culture, and language in national identity.

He cited historical commitments from leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru under the Nehru-Liaquat Pact, arguing that these refugees, fleeing religious persecution, have been denied rights for generations.

HM Shah drew a sharp distinction between refugees and infiltrators, stating that the former arrive due to religious oppression, while the latter enter illegally for economic or other reasons.

Citing census data from 1951 to 2011, HM Shah highlighted a decline in India's Hindu population from 84 per cent to 79 per cent and a rise in the Muslim population from 9.8 per cent to 14.2 per cent, attributing it primarily to infiltration rather than birth rates.

He pointed to drastic reductions in minority populations in neighbouring countries: Hindus in Pakistan dropped from 13 per cent to 1.73 per cent, in Bangladesh from 22 per cent to 7.9 per cent, and in Afghanistan from 220,000 to just 150.

He outlined the Modi government's "3D policy"—Detect, Delete (from voter lists), and Deport—to combat infiltration.

HM Shah also endorsed the Election Commission's Selective Identification of Residents (SIR) process as a constitutional duty to ensure fair elections, dismissing opposition resistance as self-serving.

Additionally, HM Shah announced a high-powered demographic mission to study illegal migration's impacts on social, religious, and economic life, as well as border management.

The event, attended by Dainik Jagran editor Sanjay Gupta, Prasoon Joshi, underscored the intersection of literature and national discourse.

HM Shah urged citizens to prioritise facts over propaganda, affirming that safeguarding India's cultural and democratic fabric remains paramount.

--IANS

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