Not possible to furnish proof of religious persecution under CAA: Assam Minister Himanta Biswa

Weighing in on the Controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, Assam, state Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday that it is not possible for Bangladeshis to prove religious persecution as they will not be able to procure the police report as a proof for the same.

"If a person has to prove it then he has to go to Bangladesh and collect a copy of the police report. Why would the police station in Bangladesh give that proof? So, said that it is not possible to prove the concept of religious persecution under the Citizenship Amendment Act," ANI quoted Biswa as saying.

"But the Indian government will have some in-house processes to check whether the place that they are coming from had any incident of atrocities against minorities," Sarma added 

The comment comes amidst the widespread anti-citizenship act protests which have rocked the country, especially in Assam. Massive protests have erupted in the state after the bill was passed by the Parliament. The protests took a violent turn in the initial stages with agitators damaging public property by setting ablaze buses, tyres and other vehicles. At least five people were killed in police action following which the internet services were suspended and a curfew was imposed in several areas including its largest city Guwahati.

Civil society groups and other organizations in Assam spearheading the protests believe that the act would make way for "illegal migrants" mainly Bengalis from Bangladesh to settle in the state which would pose a threat to the language and culture of the indigenous communities.

The Act will provide Indian citizenship to the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of the current mandatory stay of 11 years even if they do not possess any document. Members of these communities, who have come from the three neighbouring nations before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution will be granted Indian citizenship after a mandatory period of stay.