New Delhi: The Citizenship Amendment Act, which grants citizenship to religious minorities coming to India from the three neighboring countries Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, can come into force in two days, i.e. any time in March. Sources have said that the online portal is ready for registration. Dry run has already been done by the Union Home Ministry.
According to a report, CAA will help those refugees from these neighboring countries who do not have any documents. The ministry has received the maximum number of applications for long-term visas from Pakistan. The powers to grant long-term visas have already been given to the district authorities.
Powers have been given to District Magistrates of all states
Over the past two years, more than 30 district magistrates and home secretaries of nine states were given powers to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians coming from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan under the Citizenship Act, 1955. . According to the annual report of the Union Home Ministry, from April 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, a total of 1,414 non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were given Indian citizenship by registration under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
There were large scale protests in the year 2019
The Citizenship Amendment Act, passed in 2019 amid massive protests across the country, made religion a test for Indian citizenship for the first time. The government argued that it would help non-Muslim refugees from three Muslim-majority neighboring countries. If they have fled to India due to religious persecution. Critics had said that this law discriminates against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the Constitution.
The process was stopped due to Covid
The report said that overall CAA, NRC and NPR had brought a storm of protests across the country in the year 2019. However, during this period the Covid pandemic had stopped everything. After the protests ended, it was to be implemented across the country.
