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Bharatiya Janata Party president and leader of the opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani on Wednesday cautioned that granting of dual citizenship to all people of Indian origin is fraught with danger.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced during the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan in Mumbai that all people of Indian origin who had migrated from the country after 26 January, 1950 would be granted dual citizenship.
Reacting to the announcement while addressing the Global Investors' Meet in Ahmedabad, Advani asked, "Does this mean that mafia don Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel and others, who have found safe havens in Pakistan and some Gulf countries, will be welcomed with dual citizenship? Does this mean that the millions of Bangladeshi infiltrators staying in India under the conniving eyes of the Congress-Communist regime can be granted dual citizenship if they claim that they were originally Indians who migrated to East Pakistan?"
"Given the immense complexities injected into our illegal migrant detection and deportation procedures by the Congress-Communist regimes, the prime minister's assurance would certainly be sweet music to nearly 12 million officially estimated Bangladeshi infiltrators staying in India," Advani said.
The event, organised by the Gujarat government, was inaugurated by Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekawat and attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Reliance Group Chairman Mukesh Ambani among others.