Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistani cricket player, has voiced his support for the Indian government's recent implementation of rules pertaining to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This act aims to provide citizenship to individuals belonging to certain faiths who have faced persecution in neighboring countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Although the rules apply to refugees who arrived in India before 2015, Kaneria sees it as a positive development for Pakistani Hindus. Taking to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Kaneria expressed his optimism, stating, "Pakistani Hindus will now be able to breathe in open air #CAA."
Kaneria, a leg-spinner and the second Hindu cricketer to represent Pakistan after his cousin Anil Dalpat, has been an ardent supporter of the Indian government's decision to enact the CAA. The recent notification of rules by the Union Home Ministry sets the stage for granting citizenship to individuals of specific faiths who have faced persecution in neighboring countries and arrived in India before 2015.
Under the new regulations, eligible immigrants seeking citizenship under the CAA must submit their applications online through a designated web portal, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The CAA, which was a prominent aspect of the BJP's 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto, facilitates the granting of citizenship to individuals belonging to non-Muslim communities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsis, who migrated to India before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution.
Kaneria, who represented Pakistan in international cricket from 2000 to 2010, had a notable career, featuring in 61 Test matches and securing 261 wickets at an average of 34.79. Additionally, he participated in 18 ODIs, claiming 15 wickets, and boasted an impressive record of 1,023 victims in 206 First-Class matches, with 71 five-wicket hauls and 12 instances of ten-wicket hauls.
