Fourteen months since the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the Government on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that the Rules of CAA are under preparation. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the CAA was notified on December 12, 2019, it came into force with effect from January 10, 2020 and got extension from Subordinate Committees of Legislation of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha up to April 9 and July 9. This clearly means that the Centre wanted to implement CAA only after the crucial assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam.
“The Rules under The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 are under preparation. The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have granted extension of time up to April 9 and July 9, respectively to frame these rules under the CAA,” said Rai in a written reply.
The CAA, which facilitates granting of Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities -- Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian -- of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed by Parliament in December 2019, triggering protests in different parts of the country. The President had given his assent to the legislation on December 12, 2019.
Under the Act, people from these communities who had come to India till December 31, 2014 due to religious persecution in the three countries will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. After the CAA was passed by Parliament, widespread protests were witnessed in the country.