NEW DELHI: Widespread protests have erupted in India following the announcement of a government plan to impose a controversial citizenship law that excludes Muslims. The Citizenship Amendment Act will allow religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to seek Indian citizenship — provided they are not Muslim.
Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah revealed the law’s rules on Monday, declaring it as a fulfillment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to certain religious communities.
The law, passed by India’s parliament in 2019, had faced delays in implementation due to violent protests, claiming over 100 lives. However, the recent announcement has reignited public outrage, particularly among India’s Muslim population.
At the Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, a protest against the law’s implementation was forcefully dispersed by paramilitary forces. Similar demonstrations erupted in various parts of the country, with concerns raised about the law’s discriminatory nature.
In the northeastern state of Assam, protests were led by the All Assam Student Union, fearing that the law would threaten their status in their own land. According to Samujjal Bhattacharya, the union’s secretary general, granting citizenship to migrants from neighboring countries could undermine the rights of local Assamese citizens.
The CAA amendment requires migrants to prove their arrival in India from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan before December 31, 2014, to be eligible for citizenship. However, opposition parties and civil society groups have criticized the law as discriminatory and violative of the Indian Constitution’s principles.
The Indian Union Muslim League filed an application in the Supreme Court challenging the law, while civil society group United Against Hate denounced it as fundamentally altering the character of the Indian republic.
Opposition parties, including the chief ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, have vowed not to allow the law’s implementation in their states. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the government’s move, accusing it of seeking to divide citizens and undermine constitutional principles.
The implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act continues to spark controversy and opposition across India as the government faces mounting criticism over its discriminatory nature and potential consequences on communal harmony.
