CAA violates secular principle of citizenship enshrined in Constitution by linking citizenship to religious identity: CPI(M)

The Politbureau of the CPI(M) said in a statement on Tuesday that the party strongly opposes the notification of the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act [CAA]. The CAA violates the secular principle of citizenship enshrined in the Constitution by linking citizenship to religious identity.

"The rules notified under the Act operationalize this discriminatory approach towards Muslims coming from neighbouring countries. The implementation of the Act is also linked to the creation of a National Register of Citizens, raising apprehensions that citizens of Muslim origin will be targeted," CPI(M) added.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) was passed by the Indian government on December 12, 2019, leading to protests across the national capital. Anti-CAA protests began in December 2019 and continued until nearly February 2020, with its epicentre being in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh.

CPI(M) further said that the rules have been so devised as to exclude the state governments from the process of identifying and enrolling persons for citizenship in their state. This has been done to exclude those state governments that have opposed the CAA itself.

"The timing of the notification of the rules more than four years after the adoption of the CAA and just days before the notification for the Lok Sabha election makes it clear that the BJP wants to use the implementation of the CAA for divisive and polarising purposes," the party said.

The Politbureau of the CPI(M) reiterates its opposition to the CAA and its implementation and will continue with efforts to get this pernicious law annulled.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA-2019) on Monday. These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, will enable the persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for the grant of Indian citizenship. The applications will be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided, stated MHA.

The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants--including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians--who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014. (ANI)