The Supreme Court has agreed to hear multiple pleas seeking a stay on the implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud scheduled the hearing for March 19, following a request raised by senior advocate Kapil Sibal. Around 200 connected petitions have been filed with the apex court on the matter since the CAA provisions were passed in 2019.
The Indian Union of Muslim League (IUML) sought an urgent hearing, arguing that once citizenship is granted, it cannot be revoked.
Background: CAA Rules Come into Effect
The Home Ministry notified the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act’s (CAA) rules on March 11. The law allows Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, to acquire Indian citizenship without valid passports or visas from these countries.
The CAA was passed by Parliament in December 2019, granting citizenship to certain refugees. However, it does not apply to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and states regulated by the “Inner Line” permit.
Controversy Surrounding CAA
Critics fear that coupled with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), the CAA could lead to discrimination against India’s Muslim population. The NRC, implemented in Assam to identify illegal immigrants, sparked concerns nationwide about the potential targeting of Muslims without proper documentation in border states.
Rights groups and Muslim organizations worry that the CAA-NRC combination could result in the removal of citizenship for Muslims, echoing protests against potential discrimination and human rights violations.
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