Exemplary communal harmony in Bangladesh, Amit Shah should spend some days here, says foreign minister Memon

Parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) on Wednesday, which will grant citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from three neighbouring countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Shortly after the Indian Parliament gave its nod to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said it could weaken India’s historic character as a secular nation.

Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Memon said there is exemplary communal harmony in his country. (Representational photo/ANI)

“India is historically a tolerant country which believes in secularism (but) their historic position will be weakened if they deviate from that,” Momen said on Wednesday, according to news agency PTI.

He also took a jibe at Home Minister Amit Shah for including Bangladesh in the list of countries where minorities are persecuted. “There are a very few countries where communal harmony is as good as in Bangladesh. If he (Home Minister Amit Shah) stayed in Bangladesh for few months, he would see exemplary communal harmony in our country,” according to news agency ANI, which quoted Bangladesh media.

“They (India) have many problems within their country. Let them fight among themselves. That does not bother us. As a friendly country, we hope that India will not do something that affects our friendly relationship,” ANI further reported Momen as saying.

The bill will become law once President Ram Nath Kovind gives his assent to it.

The CAB seeks to amend the 1955 Citizenship Act by granting citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis and Jains who entered India from the three neighbouring countries on or before December 31, 2014. This was a key election promise of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014 and 2019.