Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that individuals belonging to both the Hindu and Muslim communities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are integral to our nation. His statement comes after the recent implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.
Speaking at India Today Conclave 2024, Amit Shah said Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) "is a part of India". He further said both "Muslims and Hindus in POK are part of India".
"Wahan ke Muslims bhi hamare hain, wahan ke Hindus bhi Hamare hain (both Muslims and Hindus of POK are part of India)," Shah said.
Shah expressed his regret over the sectarian division that occurred during the partition of 1947, labeling it as regrettable. He suggested that the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, serves as a lifeline for minorities who have endured persecution in the neighboring nations.
"At the time of independence, there were 23 per cent of Hindus in Pakistan. Today, there are 2.7 per cent. Where did they go? What happened to them? I will tell you, that minor girls were forced into marriage for religious conversion, they faced atrocities. Either they migrated to India. They took refuge in India to save the modesty of their mothers, why should we not give them nationality?" Shah replied to a query about why the Muslim community has been ejected from the scope of CAA.
"The three countries (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh) which we have included in the CAA are declared Islamic countries," the Union Home Minister said.
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