Assam CM Reveals Low CAA Citizenship Applications

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that only eight people have applied for citizenship under the CAA from the state. Among them, only two have proceeded to attend interviews. Sarma debunked the myth about large numbers of Bangladeshi migrants and highlighted difficulties faced by locals due to Aadhaar blocking.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma disclosed on Monday that a mere eight individuals from the state have applied for citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Out of these, only two have attended interviews with relevant authorities.

The CAA was implemented by the Centre on March 11, 2023, four years after its passage in Parliament, aiming to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. Despite outreach initiatives, many Hindu-Bengali families preferred to resolve their status through the Foreigners Tribunals (FT) rather than applying under the CAA.

Sarma criticized the opposition's exaggeration of the number of potential CAA applicants and revealed that around nine lakh Aadhaar cards were blocked due to timing conflicts during the NRC update. The state government is currently assessing the situation to address this with the Centre.