Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 25 (ANI): West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday raised concerns over what he alleged was large-scale infiltration from Bangladesh into West Bengal, claiming that undocumented migrants were obtaining identity documents and getting registered as voters in the state.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said that the scale of alleged infiltration was such that “millions of people from Bangladesh and other regions” had become citizens and registered voters in West Bengal.
“The scale of infiltration into Bengal is such that millions of people from Bangladesh and other regions have become citizens and registered voters here. When these individuals, armed with documents like Aadhaar cards, usurp the rights of the local population and create law-and-order issues, it becomes difficult to manage the situation effectively from Delhi. The state government now has the opportunity and the authority to oversee matters ranging from citizenship to other related issues. I believe it will be able to resolve this,” Ghosh said.
Meanwhile, the Ghosh remarks come against the backdrop of the Centre’s recent order issued on August 19, under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955, read with Rule 11A of the Citizenship Rules, 2009, specifying that its March 11, 2024 order will not apply to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, subject to specified exclusions for tribal areas in Assam and Tripura.
The latest order also rescinds two subsequent MHA orders issued on February 20 and March 2 this year, while clarifying that the rescission will not affect actions already taken or omitted before those orders were rescinded.
The MHA further directed that pending applications under Section 6B before the Empowered Committee and District Level Committee in the states and Union Territories covered by the order be transferred to the concerned Collector.
Section 6B, inserted into the Citizenship Act through the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, provides for citizenship to eligible persons belonging to specified communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, subject to conditions prescribed under the law. The Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, were subsequently notified to operationalise the amended provisions.
The order came into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette on August 19. (ANI)
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