Citizenship (Amendment) Act a ‘Courageous Step’: Bhaiyaji Joshi

Joshi thanked the BJP-led central government, the prime minister and the home minister for taking the initiative.

RSS General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi congratulated Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for passing Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

(Photo: The Quint)

Even as northeast India – including states of Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura – witness violent protests in the aftermath of the passing of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, RSS General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their decision.

The RSS pracharak described it as a “courageous step.”

Joshi said the stand of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has always been that a Hindu who comes to India because of persecution in another country cannot be termed as an intruder, but a refugee.

The Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Lok Sabha passed it on Monday.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Joshi hailed the passage of the Bill in both Houses of Parliament as a "courageous step." He thanked the BJP-led central government, the prime minister and the home minister for taking the initiative.

“The RSS has always had the stand that a Hindu who comes to India because of persecution in another country cannot be termed as an intruder, but a refugee, and there is a need for these refugees to have a respectable life and common rights in our country. But a lot of time passed and these refugees had to wait.”

Bhaiyya Joshi, General Secretary, RSS

But, the present government has taken a "very good step" and the minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will get a respectable place in India, Joshi said.

(With inputs from PTI)