New Delhi– The Centre on Monday implemented the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, a move that comes four years after the contentious law was passed and paves the way for citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.
The rules were notified days ahead of the expected announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. With this, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants — Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians — from the three countries.
Union Minister Amit Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered on another commitment and realised the promise of the makers of the Constitution.
“These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 will enable the persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for the grant of Indian citizenship,” a Home Ministry spokesperson said.
“The applications will be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided,” the spokesperson added.
The CAA was passed in December 2019 and subsequently got the president’s assent but there were protests in several parts of the country against it, with many opposition parties speaking out against the law calling it “discriminatory”. The law could not come into effect as rules had not been notified till now.
Over 100 people lost their lives during the anti-CAA protests or police action. On Monday, security was stepped up in Shaheen Bagh, Jamia and other areas of the national capital as well as in various states where anti-CAA protests were held in the past
“These rules will now enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in our nation.
“With this notification, PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji has delivered on another commitment and realised the promise of the makers of our Constitution to the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians living in those countries,” Shah said on X.
The Congress and other opposition parties slammed the government’s step, alleging it is designed to polarise the coming Lok Sabha elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also alleged that the announcement is yet another attempt to “manage the headlines” after the Supreme Court’s strictures on the electoral bonds issue.
“After seeking nine extensions for the notification of the rules, the timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam,” the Congress leader said.
Kerala CM Pinaray Vijayan described CAA as a communally divisive law and asserted that it will not be implemented in the state.
According to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, the rules for any legislation should be framed within six months of presidential assent or the government has to seek an extension from the Committees on Subordinate Legislation in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Since 2020, the Home Ministry has been taking extensions at regular intervals from the parliamentary committee for framing the rules.
The rules for implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) were notified on Monday, paving the way for granting of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, officials said.
The CAA was passed in December 2019 and subsequently got the president’s assent but there were protests in several parts of the country against it.
