Over 3000 Sikhs, Hindus, Christians from Pak, Bangladesh, Afghanistan get Indian citizenship in last 4 years

New Delhi: India had granted 3117 minorities from the Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Christian minorities from neighbouring countries in the period between 2018 and now announced Nityananda Rai, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs during the Wednesday session of the Rajya Sabha.

Member of Parliament Dr K Keshava Rao had asked the question regarding the total citizenship applications received from Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Christian minorities groups from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan during the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

8224 applications for citizenship had been received out of which 3117 were granted, Rai revealed in his reply. He said that all foreign nationals including refuge seekers are governed by the provisions contained in The Foreigners Act, 1946, The Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and The Citizenship Act, 1955.

In response to another question by MP Abdul Wahab, Minister Rai said that out of 10,635 applicants who applied for Indian citizenship till December 14, 2021, as many as 7,306 were from Pakistan. 1,152 applications pending from Afghanistan, followed by 428 from Stateless, 223 from Srilanka and USA, 189 from Nepal and 161 from Bangladesh, the minister said. An additional 10 applicants were from China.

India had earlier introduced the highly controversial Citizenship Act Amendment bill which sought to give minorities like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan citizenship if they had entered India before December 2014. An extension of time for the bill, in order to frame rules, was sought by Minister Rai in the Rajya and Lok Sabhas.