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West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has said that Hindus, Buddhists and other religious minorities who migrated from Bangladesh are refugees, not infiltrators, reaffirming his government’s stance under India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
Speaking on the issue of illegal immigration, Adhikari said that Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh who are eligible under the CAA would be treated as refugees and granted Indian citizenship. He maintained that they should not be labelled as infiltrators.
He also said that Bangladeshi nationals who are not covered by the CAA would be considered illegal immigrants and would be detained before being handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) for deportation.
The remarks come amid renewed debate over the implementation of the CAA and the status of migrants from Bangladesh, particularly members of the Matua community, many of whom have long awaited Indian citizenship.