Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal criticized the BJP-led central government for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, accusing it of diverting attention from crucial economic concerns.
Kejriwal, in a video statement, denounced the BJP for allegedly opening India’s doors to Pakistani and Bangladeshi residents through the CAA, warning of potential repercussions, especially for states like Assam.
“The BJP has opened India’s door for Pakistani and Bangladeshi residents. This is dangerous for the country; the northeast states – especially Assam – will have to pay for it. The culture of Assam is in danger because of the illegal migrants from Bangladesh. The BJP wants to provide citizenship to these illegal migrants,” Kejriwal expressed.
He raised concerns about the government allocating funds to settle Pakistani refugees in India under the CAA, suggesting that the legislation could welcome millions of people from minority communities in neighboring countries.
“The government money would be used to settle the Pakistani people in India. In these countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan), there are approximately 2.5 to 3 crores minorities. Once India opens its doors, a lot of people will come to India from these countries,” Kejriwal stated.
Kejriwal questioned the government’s readiness to provide employment opportunities for these refugees and speculated that the move might be a part of vote bank politics.
“Who will provide employment to these refugees? Why is this being done? Some people say it’s just a part of vote bank politics,” he remarked.
Kejriwal criticized the timing of the CAA implementation, suggesting that, after a decade of ruling, the BJP should have focused on showcasing its achievements rather than introducing contentious issues like the citizenship law.
“After ruling for 10 years, they have to talk about CAA. Had they done good work in 10 years, then they would be asking for votes on their work instead of CAA. Today the biggest issues faced by the country are inflation and unemployment… In such a situation, it is disappointing to see the government talking about CAA instead of resolving the issues of unemployment and price rise,” Kejriwal added.