CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on December 18, 2019

THE BJP, in order to defend the indefensible Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), is accusing the CPI(M) and the Communists, in general, of doublespeak on the question of giving citizenship to Bengali refugees from East Pakistan and later Bangladesh. In this connection, they are citing the letter written by Prakash Karat, then general secretary of the Party, on May 22, 2012 to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that Bengali refugees be given citizenship by amending the Citizenship Act. 

The BJP, through its spokespersons and in the social media, are claiming that the CPI(M) which earlier advocated provision of citizenship to Bengali minority refugees from Bangladesh are now opposing the CAA which provides for citizenship to the very same Bengali refugees.

BJP is twisting the facts to make this false allegation:

Firstly, the CPI(M) had always wanted Bengali minority refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan and later Bangladesh to be given citizenship. But the CAA does so on the basis of religious identity and by excluding Muslim migrants. At no time had the CPI(M) demanded exclusion of Muslim migrants from being considered for citizenship. That is why the Party has strongly opposed the CAA.

Secondly, the CPI(M) had adopted a resolution, `For Rights of Bengali Refugees’ at the 20th Congress of the Party in April 2012 in which the Party had spelt out its stand on the matter.  In this resolution, it was made clear that the Assam Accord should be protected when giving citizenship to refugees from Bangladesh is considered.  This means that the March 1971 cutoff date as per the Assam Accord should not be disturbed.  The CAA violates this cutoff limit for Assam. That is another reason why the CPI(M) opposed the CAB in parliament. 

The CPI(M) MPs in parliament had moved three amendments to the CAB.  Two amendments were meant to remove the religious classification of minorities and to see that migrants from all neighbouring countries could be considered for citizenship.  This was to cover, for instance, the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in Tamilnadu.  The third amendment was to exempt Assam and other north-eastern states from the purview of the bill.