Ahmedabad: Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi presents an Indian citizenship certificate to a refugee at the SAL Institute in Sola, Ahmedabad, on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. (Photo: IANS/X/@sanghaviharsh)
Gandhinagar : For 158 refugee families, Diwali arrived early, as they received Indian citizenship certificates at an event organised by Ahmedabad district administration on Tuesday. Deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi handed over citizenship certificates to 158 beneficiaries, including 126 under Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and 32 through the collector’s office.
“Diwali is still 20 days away, but these 158 families are already celebrating as if it were Diwali,” Sanghavi said, describing Indian citizenship as a new beginning for the beneficiaries and their children. The recipients included families who had migrated from Pakistan after facing religious persecution and hardship. He expressed confidence that children from these families would go on to become doctors, engineers and sportspersons and contribute to the country’s development.
The Centre’s 2016 and 2018 notifications empowered district collectors to grant citizenship under Sections 5 and 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, to eligible members of minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, according to the district administration. Sanghavi thanked PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah for the initiative, saying it had offered affected minority families an opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and security in India. He also criticised those opposing CAA for political reasons, saying they did not understand the suffering endured by persecuted families.