NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — Indian Home Minister Amit Shah announced the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019 will be put into effect before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The CAA is designed to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighboring countries. But Shah clarified the CAA aims to provide citizenship and does not revoke anyone’s citizenship.
He criticized the Congress party for reneging on its promise to provide refuge to persecuted minorities when India was partitioned. The Act, which was passed in December 2019, will grant citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities facing persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Despite being enacted four years ago, the implementation of the CAA was delayed due to pending rules. The forthcoming notification of these rules is expected to define the documentation required for citizenship applications under the CAA. The rules will likely accept various government documents that indicate the applicant’s religion before December 31, 2014.
The CAA’s implementation has been a contentious issue, sparking protests across the country in 2019. Critics argue that the Act discriminates against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the Constitution. However, the government maintains that the CAA is essential to protect persecuted minorities.
Assam has requested a time-bound application process under the CAA, which the Ministry of Home Affairs may consider. Meanwhile, Central ministers have assured that the CAA will be enforced before the Lok Sabha polls.
