New Delhi, Sep 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is going to take up the issue of National Register for Citizenship (NRC) and providing citizenship of the country to Hindus, Sikhas, Parsi and Jains from countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is serious about the bill pending in this regard.
BJP president Shah in his presidential address talked about the matter in detail that infiltration is a very serious problem and need to be dealt seriously. Union defence minister said that the issue of the NRC is very important and the party has not picked up the matter recently. The issue has already taken up nine times in the national executive and resolutions were passed. Sources said that the BJP is going to take up this issue not only in Assam but across the country and the leadership of West Bengal only Delhi have been very vocal on this issue by saying that illegal migrants must be identified and deported. The BJP is also serious about the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 as it was mentioned in the presidential address of the national executive. Actually the government plans to change the definition of illegal migrants. The Bill that was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 15, 2016, seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to provide citizenship to Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, However, the Act doesn't have a provision for Muslims. The BJP leaders have been saying that that these communities are prosecuted in these countries while the case is not similar with the Muslims. So they need assistance from the country like India and all necessary help will be given to them in this regard. The bill is currently under the consideration of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).