The Union Home Ministry notified Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules today. Remember, the CAA Act was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2019. Home Minister Amit Shah has, on multiple occasions, said that CAA rules would be notified ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to be held in April-May.
The CAA aims to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted migrants belonging to six communities – Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians – from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
The opposition parties including Congress and TMC have been opposing the law, with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying that she won’t allow the implementation of the act in the state. Tamilnadu Chief Minister MK Stalin too opposed it.
Earlier, Union Minister Shantanu Thakur said the CAA would be implemented in the country within a week. Thakur, a BJP MP from Bongaon, said that swift implementation of the legislation would be made within seven days.