NEW DELHI, July 9 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today clarified that granting of citizenship rights to Hindu Bengalis was a poll promise made by the BJP and there is no going back on it.
Talking to this newspaper, Sonowal, clarified that the issue did not figure at all during his deliberations with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh when he called on the latter yesterday. He, however, assured that the persecuted Hindu Bengalis �will get Indian citizenship.�
Sonowal said the discussion mainly centred around the fencing issue, the NRC update and likely threats from the ISIS activities.
Home Ministry sources, however, had disclosed that the State Government had sought clarification from the Centre on the issue of granting citizenship to the Hindu Bengalis.
�Clarity is required with regard to the issue of the minorities facing religious persecution in Bangladesh and Pakistan � the procedure to be followed and the issue of citizenship. There is considerable resistance to this development in Assam,� the State Government had reportedly conveyed to the Centre.
