X: @the_news_21
Today marks a significant milestone as the Ministry of Home Affairs has officially notified the rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, paving the way for the law’s enforcement nationwide. The CAA aims to streamline the process of granting Indian citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi refugees fleeing persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
In a statement released by the ministry’s spokesperson on X, it was announced that applications for citizenship will now be accepted through a dedicated online portal. The spokesperson stated, “Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be notifying today, the Rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA-2019). These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 will enable the persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for grant of Indian citizenship. The applications will be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided.”
This development comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated his commitment to implementing the CAA before the Lok Sabha elections. The law, enacted in 2019, seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from the aforementioned countries who arrived in India prior to December 31, 2014.
Despite facing protests across the country upon its enactment, Amit Shah remains steadfast in his assurance that the CAA will be upheld. He emphasized this during an event last month, stating, “This will be implemented before the elections…this is the law of the country, no one can stop it, this is set in stone, this is the reality.”
Shah also reassured minorities that the CAA does not threaten anyone’s citizenship rights. “The CAA is an act of the country…It will be notified before the polls. There should be no confusion around it. Minorities in our country, and especially our Muslim community, are being provoked…The CAA cannot snatch away anyone’s citizenship because there is no provision in the Act. The CAA is an act to provide citizenship to refugees who were persecuted in Bangladesh and Pakistan,” he emphasized during the ET Now-Global Business Summit in Delhi last February.
With the notification of the CAA rules, the government aims to streamline the citizenship process and provide relief to persecuted refugees seeking refuge in India.
