Papers not needed for citizenship: Dilip Ghosh

Kolkata: West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Dilip Ghosh, the party MP of Midnapore, declared on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would give barely four months’ time to people to apply for citizenship in accordance with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Dismissing the validity of one’s Aadhaar Card and Voter Card for citizenship, he also predicted, at a rally in support of the CAA in Howrah, that no document would be required for filling up the CAA application form. Mr Ghosh, however, made it clear that each person from Bangladesh living in India would be mandated to fill up the CAA form.

Mr Ghosh said, “Modiji will give three-four months’ time. You have to fill up the forms according to the CAA. No document will be required. You will only state the date you entered India and mention your father’s name with the address, say, Saatkhira (Bangladesh). This is proof. No other document and attestation will be needed.”

He elaborated, “Aadhar Card or Voter Card is not citizenship. If you apply for a passport, your originals will be found out but you would not be able to furnish it. It would not be accepted. You would not be a citizen then. So each and every person, who came here from Bangladesh, would have to apply for the citizenship and fill up the forms.”

Taking a dig at chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the BJP MP, who has become the state party chief for the second time, alleged, “Didi is saying: Do not fill up the forms. Never fall prey to her ploy. Ask those businessmen who did not register themselves for the Goods and Services Tax and had to pay fines later. An attempt is being made to fool Bengalis.”

He added, “You will become an Indian citizen from the date you state in the form. Someone might have come in 1975, others in 1980 and 1985. You will state the date of your arrival correctly. Those who have come here till December 31, 2014, will be awarded citizenship. So your word is the last word.”

Lashing out at the Trinamul Congress and other Opposition parties for their protests against the CAA, Mr Ghosh argued, “They are scaring people, saying the dates of the birth of parents of a person would be asked for. It will not be sought. There is a confirmation about our parents.”

Triggering controversy once again, the BJP MP reasoned, “Those whose own parents are not confirmed are misleading the people. Tell them to decide their parents first and their language. The BJP and society need not worry. If anyone says something, we are there.”