Days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, the central government is likely to announce the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) today.
Earlier this year in January, Union Home Minister said that CAA rules will be implemented within this year.
Government sources indicated that the entire procedure would be conducted online, allowing applicants to apply conveniently from their mobile phones, Indian Express reported.
“All necessary arrangements are in place, and implementation is likely before the elections. Applicants will need to declare the year of their entry into India without travel documents. No additional documents will be required. Applications submitted after 2014 will be processed according to the new rules,” sources added.
The Act, passed in December 2019, sparked nationwide protests due to its provisions. The legislation aims to expedite Indian citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—excluding Muslims.
The law received approval from the Lok Sabha on December 9, 2019, and the Rajya Sabha two days later, followed by the President’s assent on December 12, 2019 following which massive protests erupted in India, seeking the revocation of the bill.
The Modi government’s delay in implementing the polarizing legislation was attributed to various factors, including widespread protests, notably in BJP-ruled Assam and Tripura. Even the Hindu community in these states protested, viewing the legislation as endorsing the influx of Bangladeshi migrants.
In Assam, the CAA was seen as violating the 1985 Assam Accord, which stated that only foreigners who arrived in the state before March 24, 1971, would be recognized as citizens. Contrarily, the CAA set the citizenship cut-off date at December 31, 2014, raising concerns. Moreover, the legislation clashed with the NRC enumeration process in Assam, aimed at identifying illegal immigrants.
Tripura experienced a demographic shift from a tribal-majority state to one where Bengalis, many of whom were migrants, became the majority.