‘Persecuted Hindus from Bangladesh should apply under CAA'

Time of India

28-07-2025

Nagpur: Hindus who fled countries like Bangladesh to escape religious persecution should not remain in hiding; they must come out and apply under the
Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA). The recent crackdown is not on Bengali-speaking people, as certain political elements may claim. The
Vishwa Hindu Parishad
(VHP) is reaching out to such Hindus to assist them apply under CAA.
"Even certificates are being issued to them after confirming that they are Hindus," said VHP's organizing general secretary Milind Parande on Monday.
The new law applies to persons of Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi communities who reached India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014. "Those who came later can also get citizenship through naturalisation," he said adding, "The recent crackdown is against illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, not generally against those who speak Bengali."
Later, talking to TOI, Parande said it can be understood that those who fled these countries may not be able to produce the required documents needed in the CAA application. "The VHP is assisting them in dealing with such practical difficulties but in a legal manner," he said.
Parande said in its central committee meeting held at Jalgaon last week, the VHP raised concerns over what he termed "conversion by churches, Islamic fundamentalism, Marxism, secularists and even profit-driven market forces".
"There are certain global groups working to weaken the Hindu social fabric. Yet, the Hindus have remained resilient," he said adding the VHP also plans to start a campaign against drug addiction.
VHP also expressed concern over an incident in the Lakadganj involving an alleged attack on a Hindu girl's family.
# 'Review Secular & Socialist in Constitution'
VHP leader Milind Parande backed the idea of reviewing the inclusion of the words "secular" and "socialist" in the preamble of the Constitution. Parande said at the time of framing the Constitution, even Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Rajendra Prasad, who later became the President, were not in favour of having the two words in the preamble. "This was because they did not want the Constitution to be bound by any doctrine.
It was only added during the Emergency," he said. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sarkaryavaha Dattatreya Hosabale had raised a similar question recently.