Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs officially issued the rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), paving the way for its nationwide application. The legislation facilitates Indian citizenship for Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The application process for citizenship will be exclusively conducted online, as announced by the ministry’s spokesperson via an official communication.
The official statement from the ministry declared, “Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be notifying today, the Rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA-2019). These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 will enable the persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for the grant of Indian citizenship. The applications will be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided.”
This development follows the earlier announcement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who affirmed that the CAA would be implemented ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The primary objective of the law is to offer citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from the specified countries who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
The CAA, enacted in 2019, had triggered protests across various parts of the country. However, Amit Shah asserted last month that the law would be enforced, emphasizing its significance as an act of the country that wouldn’t strip anyone of their citizenship. He reassured minorities, particularly the Muslim community, that the CAA aimed to provide citizenship to refugees persecuted in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
During a speech at the ET Now-Global Business Summit in Delhi, Amit Shah highlighted that the CAA was a promise made by the Congress government during the partition, assuring refugees that they would be welcomed and granted Indian citizenship. He accused the Congress of backtracking on this commitment.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee categorically stated that her government would not permit the implementation of CAA or NRC in the state, underscoring the ongoing controversy surrounding the citizenship-related legislation.
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