The Ministry of Home Affairs has officially notified the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), allowing for its nationwide implementation. This law facilitates the granting of Indian citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
Applications for citizenship can now be submitted entirely online, as announced by the ministry’s spokesperson. This development follows Home Minister Amit Shah recent declaration that the CAA would be implemented before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Under the CAA, non-Muslim migrants from the specified countries who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, are eligible for citizenship. Despite facing protests after its enactment in 2019, the government has reiterated its commitment to implementing the law.
The CAA’s implementation has drawn mixed reactions, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailing it as historic and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma thanking PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their support. However, opposition leaders like Congress’ Digvijaya Singh and Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav have criticized the government’s delay in implementing the law.
Amidst varying opinions, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared her government’s refusal to implement the CAA and NRC in the state, while Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated Kerala’s stance against the law, calling it divisive along communal lines.
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