Various critics claim that BJP Government in India is unfairly targeting Muslims via the controversial Citizenship Test? India’s government under the BJP is asking for documentation from people to prove they are legal citizens, a policy that is being carried out in the Indian state of Assam. But why this policy in Assam may prove to be decisive for BJP in Indian Elections 2019?
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Hindu Nationalists BJP Government of India under PM Modi had vowed to take action against illegal immigrants that some people blame for stealing jobs and resources. The Assam government recently began expanding its work on the National Register of Citizens (NRC). People must be listed on the NRC to be recognised as legal citizens of India.
About four million people in Assam were left off the NRC list and are being asked to provide documents to prove their citizenship. One of them is Riyazul said he and his mother have no documents to prove they are Indians. But his father and many others in his family are already listed in the NRC list. “If my father is an Indian citizen how come I am not?” Riyazul asked.
The BJP Government in India has not given details about the four million people living in Assam who are not on the citizenship list. But most are contemplated to be Bengali-speaking Muslims. Many of those left off the NRC list cannot read or write and come from poor families.
New Agency Reuters analysed documents and found that in some cases, people were refused Indian citizenship because the names listed on documents they provided were spelt incorrectly. In other cases, certificates contained errors relating to a person’s age.
Opposition parties say BJP government in India aims to revoke citizenship to Muslims through the Assam list. They say this could be used to demonstrate the party’s commitment to Hindu nationalism ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Indian finance minister, Arun Jaitley, has spoken out on the citizenship list. He wrote in a Facebook post that the NRC was required because growth in the Hindu population of Assam had been overhauled by that of Muslims.
The Indian government declared that about 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants were living in India. It is not clear what will happen to those left off the final NRC list of citizens., but legal experts suggest that people will face denial of citizenship rights and could even be sent to detention camps.
Why is PM Modi Likely to Succeed?
They could also be taken off voter lists which means a massive decline in voters for the opposition and BJP getting a robust platform in Assam and West Bengal. Majority of the members from the Muslims community, especially the ones under the scrutiny are believed to be against Modi led BJP party.
Secondly, PM Modi would have delivered on one of his key elections promises where he vowed to repatriate illegal Bangladeshi citizens who have not only been illegitimately using India resources but also altering the religious demography of various states including Assam.
No one knows the outcome of 2019 Indian Elections, but the current Indian PM, despite criticism from certain quarters, looks favourite to extend his term by another five years.
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EurAsian Times Analysis. Source: VOA
