'Afghanistan Crisis Shows Why CAA Was Necessary': Union Minister Hardeep Puri

Citing an example of the evacuation of Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan, Puri asserted his endorsement of the CAA.

Citing an example of evacuation of Hindus and Sikhs from crisis-ridden Afghanistan, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri asserted his endorsement of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

(Image: Altered by The Quint)

Citing an example of evacuation of Hindus and Sikhs from crisis-ridden Afghanistan, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday, 22 August, asserted his endorsement of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

India, on Sunday, had evacuated 168 people from Kabul in an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, out of which 107 were Indian nationals, and the others were Afghan Hindus and Sikhs, news agency PTI had reported.

Sharing the news of the evacuation operation on Twitter, the Union minister said that, "Recent developments in our volatile neighbourhood & the way Sikhs & Hindus are going through a harrowing time are precisely why it was necessary to enact the Citizenship Amendment Act."

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which had been passed on 11 December 2019, aims to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants – six non-Muslim minorities – from three of India's neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The CAA had met with massive backlash upon its introduction, with several citizens coming out in protest against the legislation, which had been labelled as 'divisive', 'unsecular', and even 'unconstitutional'.

MEA's Assurance of Help for Hindu, Sikh Refugees

The Government of India will take all steps to ensure the safety of Indian nationals in Afghanistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said on 16 August, a day after militant organisation Taliban seized power of the country after a 20-year-long war period.

"We are in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan, Sikh, and Hindu communities. We will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan. There are also a number of Afghans who have been our partners in the promotion of our mutual development, education, and people to people endeavours. We will stand by them."

Ministry of External Affairs Statement

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, too, had reiterated the ministry's statement, assuring help to members of the Hindu and Sikh communities in Kabul.

Several on Twitter had reacted to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs that had declared that India would facilitate a safe return for members of the Sikh and Hindu communities stranded in Afghanistan

The tweets had questioned the government's pointed abstinence from extending its aid to Muslim refugees.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)