By PTI
NEW DELHI: A total of 4,046 applications for Indian citizenship from Hindus belonging to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh are pending with various state governments, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai also said that 4,171 foreigners were given Indian nationality in the last five years – from 2016 to 2020.
Of the pending applications for citizenship from Hindus, 1,541 are with the Rajasthan government, 849 with the Maharashtra government, 555 with Gujarat, 490 with Madhya Pradesh, 268 with Chhattisgarh and 123 with Delhi, he said.
In addition, 10 applications of Hindus for citizenship are pending with the central government, Rai said in a written reply. Referring to those who were granted Indian citizenship in the last five years, the minister said 1,105 foreigners were given Indian nationality in 2016, 814 in 2017, 628 in 2018, 986 in 2019 and 638 in 2020.
The Indian nationality has been given to these people under the Citizenship Act 1955. However, no one has been given Indian citizenship under the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act as the rules under the 2019 legislation were yet to be notified.
Of those who were granted Indian citizenship in the last five years, 1,089 were in Gujarat, 751 in Rajasthan, 535 in Madhya Pradesh, 446 in Maharashtra, 303 in Haryana, 301 in Delhi, 146 in West Bengal, 145 in Uttar Pradesh, 75 in Uttarakhand, 73 in Tamil Nadu, 72 in Karnataka and 65 in Kerala.