Indian government granted more time to frame rules for Citizenship Amendment Act

The Indian government has been granted time till April 9 by the Lok Sabha and July 9 by the Rajya Sabha to frame rules for grant of citizenship under the amended citizenship law, parliament was told today.

The CAA aims to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities -- Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian -- from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Those from these six communities who came to India till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution in their respective countries, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in Lok Sabha today that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) was notified on December 12, 2019 and came into force from January 10, 2020.

The Committees on Subordinate Legislation of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have granted time up to April 9 and July 9 respectively to frame these rules, he said in a written reply.

Rai said the foreigners covered under this CAA may submit applications for grant of Indian citizenship after appropriate rules are notified by the central government.

Rules are mandatory for the implementation of any new or amended law and normally framed within six months of its enactment.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah had recently said in West Bengal that rules for implementing CAA would be framed after the Covid-19 vaccination process.

After the CAA was passed by Indian parliament in December, 2019 widespread violent street protests were witnessed in different parts of India leading to the death of nearly 100 people in police firing and other violence.

The riots in northeast Delhi last year was also attributed to the CAA protests which initially triggered with the clashes between pro and anti-CAA groups.

A women-led protest at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh against the CAA had also earned traction.

Amit Shah had described the anti-CAA protests as "mostly political" and asserted no Indian will lose his or her nationality due to the legislation.