New Delhi: The Rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) are under preparation, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, told Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question in this regard, today. It stated that the Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, have granted extension of time upto April 9, 2021 and July 9, 2021 respectively to frame these rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA).
This is the second extension that has been granted to the Ministry of Home Affairs for framing the CAA rules.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) had been notified on December 12, 2019 and had come into force with effect from January 10, 2020.
However, the ministry was yet to notify CAA rules, which would spell out the procedure for religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to apply for Indian citizenship, as well as the processing and approval of such applications.
There was much protest in the country over the CAA and the proposal to have a National Register of Citizens, between December 2019 and March 2020, particularly by Muslims who claimed them to be a ploy to deny them their citizenship rights.
– global bihari bureau
