The Modi government at the Centre has officially announced the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). According to this law, non-Muslim immigrants (Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians) from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan before 2014 can obtain Indian citizenship.
Just ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Modi government has issued a notification to enforce the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) across the country. With this, the CAA has now been implemented in the nation. Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan can now be granted Indian citizenship after residing in the country for five years.
The CAA was passed in December 2019 and later received presidential assent, but protests erupted in various parts of the country against it. The law couldn't be implemented immediately as the rules were yet to be notified.
It was passed in the Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019. Following the passage of the CAA in the Rajya Sabha, there was a significant protest in the state, leading to clashes between protesters and security forces. This prompted the authorities to impose curfew in several cities and towns. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier stated that the CAA rules would be notified and implemented before the Lok Sabha elections.
Despite opposition from various parties and organizations, including the TMC, against the government's decision, the CAA has now been implemented. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her opposition to anything that discriminates against people. On the other hand, the government maintains that Muslims are the majority in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, while Hindus and other castes are minorities.
Protests have erupted in various states, including the Northeast. In 2019, when the CAA was approved by Parliament, widespread protests took place in many states, including the Northeast. Protesters argued that the government was playing vote bank politics by excluding Muslims from the legislation. The government had temporarily shelved the CAA due to protests in several states at that time but has now revisited the issue.
