The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will allow non-Muslim religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to seek citizenship, according to Indian authorities, who argue that it will assist those facing persecution.
The law, passed in 2019, triggered mass protests resulting in scores of casualties and numerous arrests.
However, rules for its implementation were not established immediately after the unrest. Now, the country’s Home Affairs Minister, Amit Shah, has announced the development, stating on social media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “fulfilled another commitment and honored the promise of the framers of our constitution to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians residing in those countries.”
India’s Home Ministry released a statement indicating that eligible individuals can now apply for Indian citizenship online, with an online portal already operational for receiving applications.
The ministry addressed misconceptions surrounding the law, attributing the delay in its implementation to the Covid-19 pandemic. It clarified that the law is intended for individuals who have endured persecution for years and have no alternative refuge except India.
Implementing the CAA has been a key electoral pledge of Mr. Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of this year’s general elections.
The law amends the 64-year-old Indian Citizenship law, which presently bars illegal migrants from acquiring Indian citizenship.
Under the new law, applicants must demonstrate that they arrived in India from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan before December 31, 2014.
The announcement on Monday did not catch many by surprise, as BJP leaders had hinted in recent months that the law might be implemented before the elections. Following the notification, BJP platforms trended hashtags like “Jo Kaha So Kiya” (We did what we said) online.
Meanwhile, protests against the CAA have commenced in some states, including Assam, where the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has called for a shutdown on Tuesday, reminiscent of the 2019 protests in the northeastern state.
In Kerala, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) has organized statewide protests, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asserting that the law will not be implemented in his state.
Critics of the CAA argue that it is exclusionary and violates the secular principles enshrined in the constitution, which prohibits discrimination against citizens based on religious grounds.
For instance, the new law does not cover individuals fleeing persecution in non-Muslim majority countries, such as Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, nor does it provide for Rohingya Muslim refugees from neighboring Myanmar.
There is apprehension that, coupled with a proposed national register of citizens, the CAA could be wielded to persecute India’s 200 million Muslims.
Some Indians, particularly those residing near India’s borders, are concerned that implementing the law will lead to an influx of immigrants.
The opposition has criticized Monday’s announcement, accusing the government of attempting to influence the upcoming election, expected to be held by May, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi vies for re-election for a third consecutive term.
“All India Trinamool Congress party leader, Mamata Banerjee, expressed at a press conference, “After multiple extensions in four years, its [the law’s] implementation two to three days before the election announcement shows that it is being done for political reasons.”
Jairam Ramesh, the communication head of the Indian National Congress, echoed similar sentiments on social media, stating that “the time taken to notify the rules for the CAA is yet another demonstration of the Prime Minister’s blatant lies.”
Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party, questioned the timing of the move.