CAA does not affect Indians

New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Bangladesh envoy and praised Sheikh Hasina for the overall growth of Bangladesh, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu told trainee diplomats from Bangladesh that the Indian government has clarified that the amended citizenship law is meant to give citizenship to religiously persecuted refugees and not to take away the citizenship of any Indian.

“It does not affect the citizenship of Indians of any religion,” Naidu said.

Naidu also told the delegation that India was fully aware of the heavy burden on Bangladesh as a result of the influx of lakhs of displaced persons from the Rakhine State of Myanmar and that it appreciates Bangladesh for its humanitarian gesture towards these displaced persons. He said that Bangladesh could count on India’s full support towards bilateral efforts with Myanmar in the repatriation of displaced Rohingyas back to Myanmar.

 “We reaffirm our commitment to stand with Bangladesh as a modern, secular, prosperous, sovereign State, in keeping with the spirit of 1971 and in line with the vision of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a developed Bangladesh. India has been consistently making efforts to strengthen the close ties between the two countries,” Naidu said.

 Asserting that India and Bangladesh have been able to resolve some outstanding issues including the land boundary and maritime boundary issue, Naidu said, “India-Bangladesh bilateral relations are considered as a role model of good neighbourly relations.” He added that India always believed that a strong, stable and prosperous Bangladesh was in India’s interest and “we would like to partner in your journey of progress to become a developed country by 2041.”