Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal criticized the central government, stating that the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would lead to more migration than what was witnessed after Independence.
Kejriwal highlighted the significant number of minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, citing poverty and lack of job opportunities in those countries. He expressed concern over the possibility of 1 to 1.5 crore people migrating to India due to the CAA and questioned where they would be settled.
The Chief Minister posed these questions to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had earlier criticized Kejriwal's remarks against the CAA, attributing them to the exposure of corruption within his administration.
Kejriwal also raised doubts about the effectiveness of the CAA in curbing illegal immigration, suggesting that the law could embolden infiltrators. He alleged that the message being sent to neighboring countries was that India was legitimizing infiltrators.
He further speculated that the government might extend the CAA's deadline from 2014 to 2019 and even further to 2024 in the future, as illegal immigration continues.
Moreover, Kejriwal criticized the central government's priorities, pointing out its reluctance to increase ration cards for the poor in Delhi while allegedly preparing to issue them for migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Responding to Amit Shah's question about his stance on Rohingya refugees, Kejriwal questioned whether the refugees came to India with the government's knowledge or due to its failure.
Kejriwal urged the government to consider the safety and security implications of settling migrants from neighboring countries across India, expressing concerns about law and order and the impact on local communities.
Finally, he suggested that India should learn from countries like Canada and the UK, which initially welcomed migrants but are now tightening their immigration policies due to internal challenges.
