Suvendu Adhikari, described as West Bengal’s chief minister, spoke about India’s Citizenship Amendment Act at the launch of the state’s 16th digital census on Saturday. He said Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians entering India from neighbouring countries are not infiltrators but refugees. Muslims were not included in the categories he described.

The disputed CAA provides for faster citizenship for six religious minority communities, including Hindus, arriving from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, while excluding Muslims. Critics and human rights groups say the law conflicts with Article 14 of India’s Constitution, which provides equality before law, as well as with secular principles.

Adhikari cited a September 1, 2025 government notification, saying refugees who arrived by December 31, 2014 to save their religion or lives cannot face cases or police harassment. He said illegal infiltrators would be identified through legal procedures and returned. Referring to an earlier error in Birbhum in which an Indian citizen faced difficulties before being brought back, he said his government would ensure that no genuine Indian citizen suffers in the process.