Government seeks extension till January 9 for framing CAA rules
The Central Government has sought an extension till January 9 for framing rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was passed by Parliament in 2019, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday. He was replying to a question from Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on whether the government had missed the deadline to frame and notify CAA rules.
CAA has come into force from January 10, 2020: Rai
A question on the steps taken by the government in this context was also asked. "The CAA, 2019 has been notified on 12.12.2019 and has come into force w.e.f. 10.01.2020," Rai said. "The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been requested to grant further extension of time up to 09.01.2022 to frame the rules under the CAA, 2019," he said.
This is the fifth extension sought by the government
The CAA envisages granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. This is the fifth extension sought by the government for framing these rules. According to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, the rules for any legislation should be framed within six months of presidential assent or an extension should be sought.
The objective of the CAA in terms of persecuted minorities
The objective of the CAA is to grant Indian citizenship to the persecuted minorities like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Those from these communities who had come to India till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
Widespread protests were witnessed after the CAA was passed
After the CAA was passed by the Parliament, widespread protests were witnessed in different parts of the country leading to the deaths of nearly 100 people in police firing and related violence.
