CAA rules notified! Modi govt fulfils another promise made in 2019 poll manifesto; Know what the Act says-
12 Mar 2024 09:50:23
New Delhi, Mar 12: Four years after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 was passed in Parliament, the Union home ministry on Monday notified rules to operationalise the Act. This major development ahead of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections marks fulfilling an important promise made in BJP's 2019 manifesto.
The CAA will make nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who migrated to India before Dec 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution, eligible to apply for Indian citizenship.
“The Modi government today notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. These rules will now enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in our nation. With this notification PM Shri @narendramodi Ji has delivered on another commitment and realised the promise of the makers of our constitution to the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians living in those countries,” Union home minister Amit Shah posted on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the announcement.
After the construction of the historic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir, it has now fulfilled yet another promise made in the 2019 poll manifesto with the rules of CAA being notified on Monday. Though the pending promise of implementing a uniform civil code is being implemented by separate BJP-ruled states, the party has met all three promises.
“We are committed to the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Bill for the protection of individuals of religious minority communities from neighbouring countries escaping persecution,” the 2019 manifesto said.
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On December 9, 2019, the Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 while the Rajya Sabha passed it on 11th December 2019. Addressing the Parliament at the time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that the Bill is not against any Minority in India and the rights of each Indian Citizen will be equally protected.
Shah had said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, will give a new ray of hope to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have migrated to India after facing persecution on the ground of religion in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Even as the Bill itself was passed, the rules required for its implementation were not notified. After the passage of the BIll, anti-CAA protests rocked the country immediately resulting in riots, violence and killing of innocent Hindus even though the Act did not harm any Indian citizen living currently in the country.