KOLKATA: A post from BJP leader Tathagata Roy on his X handle — suggesting that circumcision “must” be the test to determine the religious identity of a male seeking citizenship under CAA — has raised a political storm.
TMC has termed it a “vulgar jibe”, questioning the “narrative BJP wanted to put forward.”
CAA aims to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Christians — from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who arrived in India by 2014.“A Hindu, Buddhist or Christian fugitive must be presumed to be entitled to citizenship. The test of the religious status of a male must be circumcision or otherwise. All females accompanying a male so found to be Hindu must be presumed to be entitled to citizenship,” Roy said.
Later, speaking to TOI, Roy said there could be challenges to ascertain the religious identity of a person who files an application under CAA. “How would a Hindu fugitive, who fled Bangladesh in the face of torture, earn citizenship? Citizenship under CAA will be given to a Hindu, Buddhist or Christian who had to flee the country due to religious persecution. What could be the determining factor if his religious identity has to be ascertained? Circumcision could be a way.”