KOLKATA: Junior Union shipping minister Shantanu Thakur on Wednesday stood up for BJP veteran Tathagata Roy amid the row over the latter suggesting a "circumcision test" to ascertain the religious identity of a person applying for citizenship under CAA.
Thakur said a biological test was "well within existing rules". "I have read his post on social media, and his comment is per the rules of the govt. This is a provision used under the supervision of doctors. I don't think there is any anomaly in the statement," Thakur said at Bongaon in Bengal's North 24-Parganas.
Thakur said rules had been framed to offer citizenship to applicants from six religious communities.
"If anyone from a community other than the six tries to avail citizenship, he can be checked biologically. It will definitely not be done publicly," the minister said.