Gujarat: 3 Pak immigrants get Indian citizenship certificates twice in 2 days

Rajkot: Three Pakistani nationals living on Long Term Visas (LTVs) in Gujarat got their Indian citizenship certificates twice as BJP MP Mohan Kundariya distributed the same certificates to them at a public event in Morbi on Saturday, a day after Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya handed them certificates in Kutch.

The twin events come at a time when the BJP has been trying hard to counter the ongoing protests in some parts of Gujarat and other states of the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Morbi district unit of the BJP and Kundariya, the sitting BJP MP from Rajkot Parliamentary constituency, organised a public meeting in Umiya Society near Dev Fun World near Vavdi village of Morbi taluka in Morbi district "to raise public awareness about the CAA" on Saturday.

At the meeting, Kundariya handed over certificates of Indian citizenship to Swarupsinh Sodha (25), and his younger brothers Pratabsinh (23) and Harisinh (18). The three brothers had come to India with his family members in 2007 and had been living on LTV since. The family has their permanent address in Godhiar village in Nakhtrana taluka of Kutch district but also have a home in Vavdi village in Morbi.

Swarupsinh, Partabsinh, Harisinh and their elder sister Mohnibai were among the seven Pakistani nationals living in India on LTV who were handed over certificates by Mansukh Mandaviya, as well at an event in Kidana village of Kutch district on Friday.

The event in Kidana was organised by the Overseas Hindu Rehabilitation Committee (OHRC), a Kutch-based NGO working for Hindu immigrants, and Vinod Chavda, sitting BJP MP from Kutch Parliamentary constituency. Ten Pakistani nationals were to be awarded certificates of Indian citizenship under provisions of Indian Citizenship Act, 1955 which make a Pakistani national eligible for Indian citizenship after seven-year stay in India. Besides the three brothers and the sister, Dalpatsinh Sodha, Pithu Dibo and Samun Dibo were also handed over citizenship certificates by Mandaviya at the Kidana event. Radha Sodha, Parpati Sodha and Balwantsinh Sodha were not present to accept their certificates.

The following day, Kundariya again handed over the same certificates to the three brothers on the stage of the event organised by him and his party in Morbi. Raghavji Gadara, president of BJP's Morbi district unit, and other local party leaders were present at the event in Vavdi.

"Mandaviya distributed some certificates in Kutch, but I don't who they were. These people (the three brothers) are refugees from Pakistan and have been living in a new society which has been set up in Vavdi village. They include people from Maldhari (cattle-herders) community, Sodha or Rajput community, Scheduled Caste community etc. In all, there are 950 to 1,000 refuges in Morbi district. Around 1,100 are in Rajkot district. All of these will get certificates gradually," Kundariya said.

The MP further said that the objective of the event was to raise public awareness about CAA and acknowledge immigrants from Pakistan.

Around 250 to 300 immigrants who live in Vavdi village attended the event.