Khanna: Hindu families from Pakistan,
living in Punjab for the past several years, on Monday demanded
citizenship rights to vote in the January 30 state assembly
election.
"In the absence of any citizenship rights, we have no
ration cards, licences, voter cards, homes and employment.
We face problems everywhere," said a Pak Hindu, now settled
here.
He demanded Indian citizenship to vote in the Punjab
assembly election saying "we consider India as our
motherland."
Fruit vendor Pujari Lal, also a Pakistani Hindu, said he
and his family members want to participate in the electoral
process but they were not eligible to vote.
Some families, living in Rajpura, say they are still
fighting for citizenship rights and are not allowed to leave
the town without the permission of police.
"They entered India with valid travel documents, but
refused to return home citing ill-treatment in Pakistan and
the court has given them stay," a Rajpura police official
said.
PTI
