CAA Rules Release Sparks Pre-Lok Sabha Citizenship Debate

CAA Rules Release Sparks Pre-Lok Sabha Citizenship Debate

Asif Iqbal | January 3, 2024 | 12:26 PM IST | India, Politics | Follow on Google News

CAA Rules Release Sparks Pre-Lok Sabha Citizenship Debate.image/ANI

CAA Rules Release Sparks Pre-Lok Sabha Citizenship Debate

The unveiling of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 rules is anticipated to occur well in advance of the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, according to informed officials.

A senior government official outlined that the regulations associated with the CAA, introduced by the Narendra Modi government, aim to confer Indian citizenship upon persecuted non-Muslim migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians. These migrants had arrived in India before December 31, 2014, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Following the parliamentary approval of the CAA in December 2019 and subsequent Presidential assent, widespread protests erupted across the country.

“We are planning to release the regulations for the CAA soon. Once these rules are issued, the law can be set in motion, enabling eligible individuals to acquire Indian citizenship,” stated an official, who requested anonymity, revealing the Ministry of Home Affairs’ plan to notify the CAA rules.

The implementation of the CAA, delayed for over four years, necessitates the formulation of its accompanying rules.

When asked about the likelihood of notifying the CAA rules before the anticipated Lok Sabha elections in April-May, the official confirmed, “Certainly, well in advance of that.”

“The regulations are ready, and an online portal has already been established for the entire process, which will be conducted digitally. Applicants will be required to disclose their entry year into India without the need for travel documents. No additional documentation will be necessary from the applicants,” explained the official.

On December 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that the implementation of the CAA could not be halted as it stands as the law of the land. He accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the public on this matter.

During a party meeting in Kolkata, Shah reiterated the BJP’s commitment to implementing the CAA, while the TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has consistently opposed it.

The assurance of implementing the controversial CAA was a significant electoral agenda for the BJP in previous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in West Bengal. Party leaders view it as a credible factor contributing to the BJP’s rise in the state.

According to parliamentary procedures, guidelines for any legislation should have been formulated within six months of receiving presidential assent, or the government should have sought an extension from the Committees on Subordinate Legislation in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Since 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been regularly seeking extensions from parliamentary committees to continue the process of framing rules associated with the legislation. Over a hundred individuals lost their lives either during the protests or due to police action after the law’s passage in Parliament.

In the last two years, over 30 district magistrates and home secretaries across nine states have been authorized to confer Indian citizenship on Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians arriving from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan under the Citizenship Act of 1955.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs annual report for 2021-22, between April 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, a total of 1,414 individuals from non-Muslim minority communities originating from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan were granted Indian citizenship through registration or naturalization under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Under the Citizenship Act of 1955, Indian citizenship by registration or naturalization is granted to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in nine states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra.

It’s noteworthy that authorities in districts of Assam and West Bengal, both politically sensitive regions on this matter, have not been empowered with these citizenship-granting authorities thus far.

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Asif Iqbal

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