New Delhi [India], November 23 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that many minority communities in neighbouring countries faced violence and forced conversions, and earlier governments did not give those who came to India proper rights.

Singh said the Hindu community that deserved help was ignored, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi understood their pain. He added that this is why the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was introduced.

While addressing the Sindhi Samaj Sammelan Program in the national capital, Singh said, '...Minority communities in many neighbouring countries have been suffering for years. Their homes were burned, their children were killed, their daughters were subjected to cruelty and torture, and people were forcibly converted. When many of them somehow managed to escape and come to India, the treatment meted out to them by appeasement-seeking governments cannot be condemned enough. They were humiliated simply to appease the vote bank of a particular community.'

'A special class of people coming from neighbouring countries was given refuge. But the people of this Hindu community, who truly deserved it, were not given the rights they deserved. Their suffering was not understood with compassion. But if anyone understood this pain, it was our Prime Minister Narendra Modi...That is why we introduced the Citizenship Amendment Bill,' Singh said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 aims to facilitate grant of citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian community from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered into India on or before the 31.12.2014 and who have been exempted by the Central Government by or under clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 or from the application of the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 or any rule or order made thereunder.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, was notified on December 12, 2019 and came into force with effect from January 10, 2020. (ANI)