BJP opened doors for people from Pak, Bangladesh; CAA dangerous move: Kejriwal

Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday hit out at the BJP-led central government for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) before the Lok Sabha elections, saying it diverts attention from pressing economic issues.

In a video statement, Kejriwal condemned the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for what he sees as opening India's doors to Pakistani and Bangladeshi residents under the CAA, labelling it as a perilous move that could have dire consequences for the country, particularly 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 said.

He expressed concerns over the allocation of government funds towards settling Pakistani refugees in India under the CAA. He claimed that the legislation would open doors for millions of people from minority communities residing in neighbouring countries.

Migrants from six minority communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be granted citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act with retrospective effect.

"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 crore minorities. Once India opens its doors, a lot of people will come to India from these countries," Kejriwal said.

To be sure, the CAA fast-tracks citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities who entered India from three neighbouring countries on or before December 31, 2014.

Kejriwal questioned the government's preparedness to provide employment opportunities for these refugees once they arrive in India.

"Who will provide employment to these refugees? Why is this being done? Some people say it's just a part of vote bank politics," the AAP supremo said.

The Union home ministry on Tuesday launched an online portal amid mounting political controversy over the law that was passed four years ago but implemented just weeks before general elections.

The Delhi chief minister criticised the timing of the implementation of the CAA, suggesting that after ruling for a decade, the BJP's focus should have been on showcasing its accomplishments rather than resorting to 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," Kejriwal said.

"Today the biggest issues faced by the country are inflation and unemployment. Running a household has become difficult due to back-breaking inflation…In such a situation, it is disappointing to see the government talking about CAA instead of resolving the issues of unemployment and price rise," he added.