New Delhi: Bangladesh Information and Broadcasting Minister Hassan Mahmood said on Tuesday (November 1) that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which was framed to grant Indian nationality to minorities of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan is an internal issue of India. The minister declined to comment on the issue, saying that a petition has been filed in the apex court on CAA. This is a legal matter. We will not make any statement on this.
He further said that there are some radical organizations in both countries, that want to disturb social and religious harmony. Talking to the Press Club of India, Hassan Mahmood, a veteran leader and minister in the Sheikh Hasina government, has said these things. However, reiterating PM Sheikh Hasina’s statement, Hasan Mahmood said that under the CAA, those who believe in Hinduism in Bangladesh should not be given minority status, because Hindus in Bangladesh belong to the mainstream.
Bangladesh Minister Mahmood Hasan’s statement comes at a time when the Central Government has recently filed an affidavit in the apex court saying that the CAA does not in any way affect the way of acquiring Indian citizenship at present. A lawful stay will continue on the basis of valid documents and a visa. The government clarified that the purpose of CAA is to give refuge in India to the persecuted people of certain communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
