AGARTALA: Tripura is gearing up to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Friday despite significant concerns raised by opposition parties about potential communal tensions.
Speaking at a blood donation camp held at a mosque, Chief Minister Saha confirmed the state’s commitment to implementing the CAA. “We will follow the directives from the Centre,” he told a national news agency.
The state government has already instructed all District Magistrates to establish committees and designate officials to handle applications under the CAA.
This includes forming the State Level Empowered Committee and District Level Committee to oversee the process.
However, the decision has been met with strong opposition from parties including the CPI(M) and Congress.
They argue that implementing the CAA could alter the state’s demographic balance and exacerbate communal tensions, particularly affecting the tribal communities.
Tripura CPIM Secretary Jitendra Choudhury voiced his concerns, stating implementing the CAA will provoke further influx from Bangladesh, creating political turmoil.
Choudhury also suggested that the timing of the CAA notification was politically motivated, aimed at diverting attention from other issues.
“The CAA notification was issued on the day of the verdict for electoral bonds, to hide the ugly face of the BJP,” he told the news agency.
Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman also criticised the move. “While we acknowledge the oppression faced by religious minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, the CAA is not the solution. Granting Indian citizenship based on religion sets a dangerous precedent and encourages further persecution of minorities in those countries,” he added.
The implementation of the CAA in Tripura comes shortly after the Centre granted citizenship to 14 people under the act, following the notification of rules two months ago.
The CAA, which excludes Muslims from its provisions, has been a contentious issue since its inception.
