The Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, is a law passed by the Indian Parliament in 2019. It aims to amend the country’s citizenship laws, defines illegal immigrants and lays down the rules and prerequisites for applying for Indian citizenship. It allows minorities of six communities, namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, from India’s neighboring countries — Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh — who entered India before 31 December 2014 to get citizenship more easily on the grounds of religious persecution.
The introduction of this bill led to mass protests from students, civil society, and the opposition parties as religion for the first time was made a test of Indian citizenship. The most notable was a 100-plus day protest in Shaheen Bagh, a working-class Muslim neighbourhood in the country’s capital, New Delhi with Muslim women at the forefront of this protest.
Four years after the CAA’s initial introduction and passing, the rules were brought into effect in March 2024.
“If voted to power…” is the operative term. Is it ever likely to happen? Even if it were to happen the congress CM has to listen to the Voice from Delhi, thanks to the I Command culture of congress.
BJP is really lucky to have Rahul around. He is so important to both Congress and BJP. Its very rare to see something like this.
It goes without saying. If CAA is implemented, the Congress votebank would reduce to half of what it is right now.
I am confused. Rahul Gandhi says he won’t implement CAA if Congress wins Assam. Shah says he would implement CAA if BJP wins West Bengal. CAA pertains to granting citizenship to those persons belonging to religions other than Islam , who were being persecuted in foreign countries like Pakistan and have migrated to India due to the persecution. Was the law necessary when citizenship can be granted to anybody even without passing any law? How many persons are awaiting grant of citizenship in this manner? Has the government compiled any state-wise data? Will the citizenship be granted en-mass without making any enquirers? What will be the procedure? Those who oppose CAA want the benefit to be given to Muslim immigrants too. Again, how many Muslim immigrants want this benefit? Is there any data? Every party is taking a politically convenient stand without talking about any specifics.
Before the CAA amendment, citizenship could be granted only by the Central Government. CAA enables even the Deputy Commissioners or Collectors of the districts to grant citizenship to the eligible migrants within their territorial jurisdiction. In any case, there is nothing in CAA which is going to work against the Indian Muslims.
If our leaders feel anarchy is better than democracy, should we move to amend our constitution accordingly?
Gandhi said Assam needs a chief minister from their “own people”
Wouldn’t Indian use the same criteria for India & ask you are you our own under that criteria?
People living in glass house should be throwing stones at others.
Those circumstances are very unlikely to arise as Congress can never win Assam, having thrown it away themselves.