Says not averse to make dual citizenship part of its manifesto
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The state Bharatiya Janata Party has come out in support of beleaguered Goa Vikas Party legislator Caitano Silva saying that the party was not averse to considering dual citizenship and even making it part of the election manifesto, in the wake of the Union Home Ministry declaring him as having ceased to be an Indian citizen.
Speaking at a press conference held Saturday state BJP vice president Dr Wilfred Mesquita told media that the BJP would stand behind Caitu and “through Caitu we will fight for thousands of Goans.”
“This is an administrative law under pressure from Congressmen thinking that it will create problems for the BJP,” Mesquita said, arguing that the party would not be affected by this order at all. He also criticized the order, calling it a “politicization of a citizens issue” and a very “serious matter that has got very serious ramifications.”
Seeking to play the ‘fear factor’ Mesquita sought to argue that “if transcription (registering his name in Portuguese records) is a loss of citizenship, then thousands of citizens of Goa – particularly of a certain community – will be living in a state of fear,” adding that if it is a law, Goans who have “transcribed” ~as he repeatedly said ~ will become stateless.
The Union Home Ministry in its order dated November 20 had ruled that Caitu has ceased to be an Indian citizen.
Reacting to the development, AICC secretary Dr Chella Kumar has welcomed the decision of the Union Home Ministry stating that Caitu has ceased to be an Indian citizen.
“This is a genuine decision and we have to welcome the same”, he said, while replying to a query from reporters on the issue.
“Someone had given a petition with a pucca proof of documents with the Ministry of Home Affairs. And, they have taken the decision. They have not taken a hasty decision. They have taken more than a year’s time to study the whole subject and have finally come out with the decision. This is a genuine decision and we have to welcome it”, he told the media.
The Union Home Ministry’s order given after an application was received states: “.The central government in exercise of its powers conferred on it under section 9 (2) of the citizenship act 1955 and rules made there under determines that Caetano Rosario Silva resident of Goa ceased to be a citizen of India from the date he registered his birth with the central registry of births, marriages and deaths of Lisbon as a Portuguese national w.e.f 21.07.2010,” says the order by Anand Joshi, under secretary to Ministry of Home Affairs, foreigners division, Government of India.
The order cites section 9(1) of the Citizenship Act that one ceases to be a citizen of India if he or she “by naturalization, registration or otherwise voluntarily acquires, or has at any time between the 26th January 1950 and the commencement of the Act in 1955, voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country.”
