Thread by @SaketGokhale

Mr. Shah evidently hasn’t done his research on how the premise of citizenship works before his mischief with the CAB.

India does NOT allow dual citizenship. The OCI was introduced as a way of offering rights available to citizens without actually making them citizens.

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OCI holders, for instance, aren’t eligible for consular support. Nor can they vote.

OCI holders continue to be citizens of their respective countries while getting some of those privileges in India.

Ergo, a citizen of India can NOT be a citizen elsewhere.

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Mr. Shah wants to give Indian citizenship to refugees of all religions from neighboring nations except Muslims.

Fact is India can’t offer them citizenship unless

(a) they’re stateless or

(b) they’ve renounced their original citizenship.

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These “legal migrants” will therefore have to be held in detention camps until India verifies their citizenship status with Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.

And if their countries don’t allow them to renounce their citizenship, India has no choice but to deported them.

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So here’s for the bhakts - Mr. Shah will be building detention centers housing migrants from all religions except Muslims.

No amendment can allow his govt. to grant them citizenship unless they’re rendered stateless.

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Instead of the CAB, a comprehensive refugee policy admitting people of all religions would’ve actually helped.

But doing that won’t allow the BJP to create tensions and light fires.

This law is a dud. Unless u feature on the NRC, the CAB will do nothing for you.

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And Shah said today that NRC will be implemented nation-wide.

So here’s how it goes:

1. Any suspected refugee or migrant will first have to go to a detention center.

2. Their citizenship will be verified with their respective countries.

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3. Only if proven that the refugee is stateless or has renounced their previous citizenship, they’ll be eligible to become Indian citizens

4. And only once they’re citizens can they be on the NRC.

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So does the govt stand to gain by excluding Muslim refugees in the CAB? Nothing absolutely.

We’re going to have an influx of non-Muslim refugees.

We’re going to have to house & feed them until their citizenship is verified.

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And if these refugees continue to have their original citizenship (and if their govt. doesn’t revoke it), they’ll have to be deported.

Even the refugees who have already been living in India will have to show that they’ve renounced their previous citizenship.

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Now imagine a Hindu refugee who has been living in India since 30 years.

If they can’t prove that they lost/renounced their Pakistani citizenship, they’ll have to be deported back to that country.

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So to all the bhakts celebrating the CAB - sorry but the BJP is as incompetent as it is communal.

Refugees, irrespective of religion, can’t have dual citizenship.

In its quest towards bigotry & creating communal tensions, the CAB will be BJP’s greatest self-goal.

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