NEW DELHI: The BJP-led central government is likely to notify rules for the citizenship amendment act (CAA) before the implementation of the model code of conduct (MCC).
According to sources cited by news agency ANI on Tuesday (February 27), the ministry of home affairs (MHA) is set to notify the rules pertaining to CAA before the implementation of the MCC.
The CAA, passed by Parliament in December 2019, has yet to be enforced amid nationwide protests criticizing its perceived discriminatory nature based on religion and its potential association with a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Sources informed ANI that the notification of CAA rules aims to facilitate the processing of Indian citizenship applications from persecuted minorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Under the law, citizenship is granted to minorities or individuals belonging to non-Islamic faiths from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
Speaking at the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2024 on February 10, union home minister Amit Shah reaffirmed the BJP-led central government’s commitment to implementing the CAA before the Lok Sabha elections, emphasizing that it is a lawful measure.
He assured that the law would not affect the citizenship status of any Indian, addressing concerns among the Muslim community by clarifying that the CAA does not entail provisions for revoking citizenship.