The first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) was issued Wednesday in New Delhi to 14 people, starting the process of granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslims migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over the certificates to the 14 people after their applications were processed online through a designated portal, an official spokesperson said.
“Home Secretary congratulated the applicants and highlighted salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. Secretary Posts, Director (IB), Registrar General of India and senior officers were also present during the interactive session,” the spokesperson said.
The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. These include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah revealed that 300 individuals are currently granted citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Delhi alone. Shah reiterated that CAA is a law of the land, reaffirming the government’s commitment to its implementation.
The long-awaited rules governing implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), enacted in December 2019, have finally been issued.
These rules paved the way for granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. The eligible groups include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.
The ruling BJP has made CAA a major poll issue with the eastern state at the core of BJP’s CAA push. The government had notified rules to implement the long-awaited Citizenship Amendment Act 2019, part of the saffron family’s poll promise in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 West Bengal polls, a day after the ruling TMC in Bengal declared all its 42 Lok Sabha candidates.
In Bengal, BJP seeks to guarantee citizenship to nearly 30 lakh-strong Matuas who hold sway in about five Lok Sabha segments and over 50 Assembly seats across North and South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts.