Defending the controversial citizenship bill, BJP senior leader, La. Ganesan, has stated that Eelam Tamils residing in Tamil Nadu should return to Sri Lanka despite human raised human rights concerns.
The BJP leader stated on the matter;
“I am not against citizenship being given to Sri Lankan Tamils. But, they do not want it. They want to go back. That would be the best solution as their votes are more important in Sri Lanka”.
Human rights groups such as Freedom from Torture are particularly concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka since the election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The Rajapaksa regime was known for its “white van” abductions, systematic use of torture and disappearance of dissident journalists.
He further added that Eelam Tamils will not be forcefully deported but maintained that this would not be the case with minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) would provide a pathway for citizenships for religious minorities from those three nations, except if they are Muslim.
This statement follows a significant defeat for the BJP in the Jharkhand Assembly election. There have been widespread protests across India in response to the bill and it has also received condemnation from United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights which described the bill as “fundamentally discriminatory”.
For more information read The Hindu.
