'Garba celebrations more important than Pak passport'; 319 displaced Pakistanis receive Indian citizenship in Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR: The government of Gujarat presented citizenship certificates to 319 displaced people from Pakistan in an event held at Pramukh Swami Auditorium in Rajkot. Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi likened the event to a Diwali celebration for the recipients.

Sanghavi said that the people who endured hardships in Pakistan over all these years can now live a life of dignity in Gujarat. The deputy CM also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decisions and the crucial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) for helping the displaced people get Indian citizenship.

The deputy chief minister also elaborated on the hardships the women went through in Pakistan, as most of them even had to change their names to protect their lives. In a taunting statement hurled at the neighbours, Sanghavi said that Rajkot’s Garba celebrations were more important than holding a Pakistan passport.

A young girl who received the citizenship applied a red vermilion tilak on the forehead of Sanghavi in a gesture of gratitude.