No papers will be required under CAA: Dilip Ghosh

Kolkata: West Bengal BJP president and MP from Midnapore Dilip Ghosh said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would give barely four months’ time to the people to apply for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

He said at a rally in support of the CAA in Howrah that no documents would be required for applying for citizenship under the CAA. Ghosh, however, made it clear that each person from Bangladesh living in India would be mandated to fill up the CAA form.

Ghosh said, “Modiji will give three-four months’ time. You have to fill up the forms according to the CAA. No documents 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 the proof. No other document and attestation will be needed.” Aadhaar card or voter card is not the citizenship, he added.

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 in the GST and had to pay fines later. An attempt is being made to fool Bengalis.”

“You will become an Indian citizen from the date you would 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 Trinamul Congress for their anti-CAA protests, he argued, “They are scaring people saying the dates of birth of parents would be asked for. It would not be sought.”