On Monday, the government of India issued a notification to implement the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Passed by Parliament in December 2019 amid violent protests resulting in over 100 deaths, the CAA introduces religion as a criterion for citizenship for the first time.
The recent notification enables the government to grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
The implementation of the Citizenship Act, a key campaign promise for the ruling BJP in the 2019 general election and various state polls, coincides with the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election, where Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi’s party seeks a third consecutive term.
Home Minister Amit Shah, affirming that the CAA would be notified, dismissed concerns about it being combined with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to target religious minorities.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a vocal critic of the CAA, swiftly opposed the move, stating her government’s opposition to anything that discriminates against people.
She accused the BJP of exploiting the CAA for political gain in the approaching elections and emphasized her commitment to preventing unrest in Bengal and the northeast, where parts are exempted from the CAA by the central government.
