New Delhi, March 11 : The Centre on Monday notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules, days before the announcement of the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct. The Ministry of Home Affairs has already created a portal for the applicants’ convenience, with the entire process being done online.
The Act, which was passed in 2019, seeks to fast-track Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians – with the exception of Muslims – who migrated to India owing to religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The applicants are required to declare the year that they entered India without travel documents.
The delay in the implementation of the legislation was attributed to several reasons, including the vociferous protests against it, including in BJP-ruled states like Assam and Tripura. The Bill also faced opposition by the Hindu communities in these states because it was seen to legitimize the influx of Bangladeshi migrants.
