The Union home ministry has issued a release making it clear that Indian Muslims need not worry after the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, as it has no provision that will affect the citizenship of 18 crore Muslims living in India.

The release issued on Tuesday also added that no Indian citizen would be asked to produce any document to establish his or her citizenship after the implementation of the act.

“Indian Muslims need not worry as CAA has not made any provision to impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the present 18 crore Indian Muslims, who have equal rights like their Hindu counterparts. No Indian citizen would be asked to produce any document to prove his citizenship after this Act,” reads the release.

Sources in the BJP said the release was issued following reports that there was confusion among minority communities in some areas, particularly in the bordering areas of Bengal, where people started asking questions about whether they have to establish their citizenship after the CAA is
implemented.

The release also made it clear that there was no provision to repatriate illegal Muslim migrants to Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan since questions were also cropping up about whether the minority people would be pushed back to the three neighbouring countries in case they fail to establish their citizenship.

“India does not have any pact or agreement with any of these countries to repatriate migrants back to these countries. This Citizenship Act doesn’t deal with the deportation of illegal immigrants and therefore the concern of a Section of the people including Muslims and students that CAA is against Muslim Minorities is unjustifiable,” reads the release.

The ministry also pointed out that Muslim migrants from any foreign country could also apply for citizenship of India after questions were raised as to why the CAA did not allow Muslims to apply for citizenship.

“CAA does not cancel the naturalisation laws. Therefore, any person including the Muslim migrants from any foreign country, seeking to be an Indian citizen, can apply for the same under the existing laws...,” reads the release.