Hindus Entering India Amid Bangladesh Turmoil Won’t Get Citizenship Under CAA

The CAA mentions a cut-off date for entry into India as "on or before 31st December 2014."

The claim is misleading as the CAA mentions a cut-off date for entry, which is 31 December 2014.

(Source: X/Altered by The Quint)

Speaking to the media about the recent crisis in Bangladesh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and West Bengal's Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that one crore Hindus were expected to enter India owing to the conflict.

In the video, Adhikari can be heard saying, "One crore Hindu refugees will come to West Bengal. I urge the governor and the chief minister of West Bengal, be prepared. Consult with the Central government, there is CAA," referring to the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, widely referred to as the Citizenship Amendment Act.

With his statement, the leader implies that Hindus seeking refuge in India would qualify for Indian citizenship under the CAA.

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(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

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However, Adhikari's statement is misleading. Those entering India due to the ongoing conflict in Bangladesh, regardless of their religion, cannot apply for Indian citizenship under the CAA.

This is because the Act specifies a cut-off date, stating that it will only be applicable for people belonging religious minorities from neighbouring countries who "entered into India on or before 31.12.2014."

Here's what we did: We went to the website which helps people apply for Indian citizenship. It listed the rules and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to CAA about who could apply and the process of application.

A section on the page mentioned a "special provision" under CAA, which "is specifically for individuals who entered India on or before 31st December, 2014, and belonging to Hindu or Sikh or Buddhist or Jain or Parsi or Christian community from Pakistan or Afghanistan or Bangladesh."

It mentioned that people from religious minorities from coming from India's neighbouring countries could apply for Indian citizenship under special provisions.

(Source: Indian Citizenship Online/Screenshot/Altered by The Quint)

The FAQ section also mentioned a similar condition for eligibility, which specified the cut-off date for entry as 31 December 2014.

Individuals applying for citizenship under CAA must have entered India on or before 31 December 2014.

(Source: Indian Citizenship Online/Screenshot)

The Amendment to the Rules was notified in March 2024, when the Ministry of Home Affairs issued the form which people eligible for Indian citizenship, by naturalisation or registration, could fill out.

The form, too, specifies the cut-off date for entry as 31 December 2014, mentioning a list of documents that would help applicants prove that they entered India before the specified date.

Every official document pertaining to the CAA mentions 2014 as the cut-off date for entry.

(Source: Indian Citizenship Online/Screenshot)

A version of the Act, from when it was a Bill in the Lok Sabha, also mentions the same date.

CAA applies to those who entered India before 2014.

(Source: Lok Sabha Docs/Altered by The Quint)

The provisions of the Act itself specify four criteria for eligibility, one of which mentions the cut-off date for migrants as 2014 while another mentions that a person of Indian origin would need to be a resident of India for seven years before applying for citizenship.

The CAA mentions four criteria for eligibility. 

(Source: Indian Citizenship Online/Altered by The Quint)

With these, it is evident that the CAA would not immediately grant citizenship to Hindu refugees who may enter India due to the crisis in Bangladesh.

Conclusion: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's statement about Bangladeshi Hindu refugees and CAA is misleading.

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