158 refugees get Indian citizenship certificates in Gujarat ahead of Diwali

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Tuesday handed Indian citizenship certificates to 158 refugees, including 126 beneficiaries under the CAA.

In Short

• Officials said 126 beneficiaries qualified under the Citizenship Amendment Act
• Another 32 applicants registered through the district collector's office separately
• Sanghavi thanked Modi and Shah for supporting persecuted minority families

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Tuesday presented Indian citizenship certificates to 158 refugees at a ceremony here.

Those who received the certificates comprised 126 beneficiaries under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and 32 registered through the district collector's office, an official release said.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanghavi said those who criticised the Act for political reasons failed to understand the hardship faced by the refugee families.

The grant of citizenship brought joy to these families ahead of Diwali, he said, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for helping Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi families who had faced religious persecution in Pakistan begin a new life in India.

Sanghavi spoke about the honour and dignity associated with the Indian passport and said, "Our country and state are committed to supporting those in distress. PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the CAA to ensure a secure and bright future for the children of refugee families."

He expressed confidence that children from these families would go on to become doctors, engineers and sportspersons and contribute to the country's development.

The Deputy CM cited the example of Dhara Sindhu, a girl who has won medals at district, state and national levels in sports, including table tennis and floor games, despite physical challenges.

Minister of State for Urban Development Darshna Vaghela said the CAA helped people who arrived from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan obtain Indian citizenship and fundamental rights.

She cited the example of Dimple Varindani, who is currently serving as a corporator of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and also heads the civic body's Women and Child Welfare Department, as an instance of people from these communities attaining positions in society.

MLA Payal Kukrani congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to uphold the country's unity and integrity and contribute to the vision of 'Viksit Bharat'.

Among those present, Narendra Kumar, Shravan Kumar and Shardadevi expressed gratitude to the Centre and the state government for granting citizenship to their families which had migrated from Pakistan.

According to the release, the Centre authorised district collectors through Gazette notifications in 2016 and 2018 to grant citizenship under Sections 5 and 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, to members of minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

From 2017 to 2025, Ahmedabad district authorities issued citizenship certificates to more than 1,200 applicants, the release said.

- Ends