Citizenship certificates issued in Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand under CAA
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Wednesday that the process of granting citizenship under the new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has now begun in West Bengal, Haryana, and Uttarakhand. The first set of applications were granted citizenship by the states' respective Empowered Committees, it added. The CAA was enacted in December 2019 to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.
Why does this story matter?
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 9, 2019; the Rajya Sabha passed it two days later. However, it was implemented only recently because the rules were not notified. The Citizenship (Amendment) Rules were notified on March 11 of this year. Following notification, the MHA began distributing the first set of citizenship certificates on May 15 in Delhi, handing out approximately 300 citizenships on the first day.
Citizenship process commences in West Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand
In a statement on Wednesday, the MHA said, "The process of granting citizenship certificates under the CAA has now commenced in West Bengal, where the first set of applications from the state were today granted citizenship by the Empowered Committee, West Bengal." "Similarly, the empowered committees of the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand have also granted citizenship today to the first set of applicants in their respective states, under the CAA," it added.
Opposition, BJP spar over CAA
The implementation of the CAA has been a frequent in the Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto, appearing both in its 2019 and 2024 poll promises. However, a number of opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, have stated that they oppose CAA because it restricts constitutional rights. Just weeks ago, Banerjee had said that her government would not allow the CAA to be implemented in West Bengal.
Banerjee would not be able to stop CAA implementation: Shah
On May 14, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Banerjee would not be able to stop the implementation of CAA. To qualify for Indian citizenship, applicants can submit any nine documents, including a valid or expired passport, ID card, and land tenancy records, to prove they are an Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Bangladesh national. Applicants can also submit any of the 20 documents, including a visa copy and immigration stamp, upon arrival in India.
