CAA: Modi Govt Walks The Talk; Opposition Fearmongers | Top Developments

CAA LIVE News Updates: 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi has honoured Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain refugees by giving them citizenship through CAA', Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday and maintained there is no provision for stripping of anyone's citizenship in the new law. Hitting out at the Congress and AIMIM, Shah, addressing party meetings said AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Hyderabad Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi are lying and that minorities of the country will lose their citizenship with the implementation of CAA. "We had said we will bring CAA. The Congress party opposed the CAA. Since Independence, it was a promise of the Congress and makers of our Constitution that citizenship would be granted to those persecuted on religious grounds in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, who come (to India). But, due to appeasement and vote-bank politics, the Congress party opposed the CAA," Shah said, justifying the CAA's implementation. 

The Opposition, on the other hand, continued to fearmonger with Owaisi and Mamata Banerjee calling CAA ‘anti-Constitution’.  The Opposition argued that the CAA violates the principles of equality and secularism enshrined in the Indian Constitution by providing preferential treatment based on religion. Meanwhile, a heavy police force was deployed around Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia on Tuesday morning while security was tightened across the national capital with paramilitary personnel conducting patrols and flag marches. A section of Jamia Millia Islamia students held a protest against CAA implementation on the campus on Monday evening, following which security was beefed up and paramilitary personnel deployed, a senior police officer said.  In early 2020, the city witnessed communal riots in its northeastern parts over the issue in which 53 people were killed and over 500 injured. 

The CAA bill was passed in Parliament on December 11, 2019, leading to protests across the country, including Delhi which witnessed months-long anti-CAA protests in 2019-2020 with Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh being the epicentres of the stir. Stay tuned to this place for all the updates on CAA.  

Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) Notified: Here Are The Updates  

• 'TMC to hold a roadshow against CAA': TMC will hold a roadshow against CAA in Siliguri, West Bengal tomorrow. CM Mamata Banerjee to take part in the roadshow that will begin from Mainak and end at Venus More, in Siliguri. 
• Owaisi to approach SC: Alleging that the CAA is against the Constitution, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday said he would approach the Supreme Court in the wake of rules being notified for the law. A law cannot be made on the basis of religion and that there are many Supreme Court judgments on it, he said. "... (it is) against the right to equality. You are giving permission (citizenship) to every religion, you are not giving to those whose religion is Islam," he told reporters.  Owaisi claimed that CAA should be seen together with NPR (National Population Register) and NRC (National Register of Citizens). "This government is making rules after four years. I would like to tell the country. The present Home Minister (Amit Shah) has said in Parliament and mentioning my name that NPR will also come, NRC will also come. He (Home Minister) had said this in many TV interviews. I would like to say don't see CAA (alone). You have to see this together with NPR and NRC. When that happens, of course, the biggest target would be Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis and the poor," he said.   
• Tamil Nadu won't implement CAA: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin dismissed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as 'divisive and bereft of any use' and asserted that it would not be implemented in the state. Hitting out at the BJP regime at the Centre for notifying the rules for implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 'in a haste' when the Lok Sabha polls are around the corner, Stalin said the CAA and its rules went against the basic structure of the Constitution. "There is not going to be any use or benefits due to the CAA, which only paves the way for creating divisions among the Indian people. The stand of the government is that this law is completely unwarranted; it is one that must be repealed." Hence, "the Tamil Nadu government will not give any opportunity in any manner to implement the CAA in Tamil Nadu," he asserted in an official release.
• Mamata criticises CAA: Hitting out at the government over CAA notification, West Bengal CM and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said that BJP is spreading lies ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls. “This is a game of taking away people's rights”, she stated, terming CAA ‘unconstitutional, discriminatory’. 

• Adequate Police Force deployed in UP: On the CAA notification, Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar said, "We have an adequate Police force. Besides this, we have also received Central force. We are making all the arrangements. Notification has been done, and I would like to tell you that this is an enabling provision. It provides for the granting of citizenship to all such people who have come here after facing religious persecution in neighbouring countries. It has no provisions for stripping off of the citizenship of any Indian citizen. So, I don't think that there are going to be any issues. But our people are in touch with religious leaders and influencers in the social community...The feedback is positive. Everything is normal everyone. Police is alert as a precautionary measure. 179 companies of PAC and 100 companies of CAPF have been deployed. All our equipment like fire service vehicles, body-borne cameras and riot drill equipment are being used in a proper manner by our field teams. Regular patrolling is being done. Discussion with all stakeholders is being done..."
• Holi comes early for Pak refugees in Delhi

• How eligible individuals can apply for Indian citizenship?: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has provided a web portal (https:/indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in) on which people persecuted from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh on religious grounds of six minority communities – Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians-- can apply to avail Indian citizenship. 
• IUML Knocks on SC's Door: Indian Union Muslim League files plea before Supreme Court seeking stay on the new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) Rules 2024. Plea seeks a stay on the continued operation of the impugned provisions of Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019; and Citizenship Amendment Rules 2024. The plea says the Act and Rules would result in valuable rights being created and citizenship being granted to persons belonging to only certain religions, thereby resulting in a “fait accompli situation”, during the pendency of the present Writ Petition.
• Flag march in Delhi: Delhi Police and Central Paramilitary forces hold a flag march in Delhi's Jagat Puri and Khureji Khas areas following the implementation of CAA. Speaking to reporters, DCP Shahdara Vishnu Sharma said, "Yesterday the Home Ministry notified the rules of CAA. Peace committee meetings have been organised and it has been told that there is no threat to Indian Muslims from this law, it is only about giving citizenship. So no one has to fear...police are keeping a close watch and surveillance is also being done through drones, social media is being monitored..."

• ‘Nothing to fear’:  West Bengal BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said," This was announced by the BJP earlier. People vote on these agendas. CAA is nothing but proper documentation of Indian citizens according to our Constitution. There is nothing to fear. TMC is the party which supports intruders."
• Anil Vij on CAA: Speaking to reporters, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said, "...Those who could not come to India at the time of partition and were persecuted on the basis of religion in these different countries. People who came to India before 2014 had no rights here, so PM Modi has done a good job by giving them citizenship so that they can also live their lives with dignity and raise their children."
• 'CAA Not Against Minority': BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "CAA rules have been made. For this, we thank our Government of India, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. I would like to say very humbly that CAA is not against the minority of the country. Its only objective is to help the Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains, who are suffering in the neighbouring countries, that they come to India and  facilities should be given to them..."
• Opposition Questions Centre: On the CAA notification, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh says, “...Why are you considering only Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan? Why did you not include Sri Lanka? There are several such questions. But my question is why did you take 4 years and 3 months? Why did the rule not come earlier?... Now, when there is an atmosphere of elections in West Bengal and Assam - to create polarisation there, this has been done...They have just one goal, polarization at the time of the election...Hum Ram pujari hain, wo Ram vyapari hain. I have two 'Ram' in my name, we are all devotees of Lord Ram...”
• Veerappa Moily on CAA: ‘CAA is politically and communally motivated; will create hate politics before elections’, said former Karnataka CM Veerappa Moily. 

Muslim Organisations Condemn CAA

With the subject line 'Solidarity Against Discriminatory Legislation',  Muslim Organisations in a letter to the government said, “We, the undersigned organizations hereby issue this joint press statement to express our unified stance against discriminatory legislation that undermines the fundamental principles of equality and justice. We vehemently condemn the enforcement of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 just before the announcement of general elections. The act introduces provisions that sabotage the principles of equality and secularism enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Article 14 of the Indian constitution embodies the general principles of equality before the law and prohibits unreasonable discrimination between persons based on religion.”

Moreover, it said,"The insertion of Clause (b) in Section 2 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, establishes biased treatment - by mentioning individuals belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan, who entered the Indian territory before December 31, 2014; shall not be treated as an illegal migrant. The act sheepishly avoids mentioning Muslims infringing the fundamental right to equality and secularism guaranteed by the Indian constitution by selectively granting citizenship based on religious affiliation; thus undermining the principle of equal treatment under the law. This discriminatory legislation threatens the social fabric of the country eroding the foundational principles of inclusivity and diversity."

It added, "The approval of the Citizen Amendment Bill by the Indian Parliament created a nationwide uproar and protests from Muslims and other sections of society, who felt an immediate responsibility to protect the Constitution of India. The timing chosen for the implementation of the act is also questionable and shows the evident political motive of creating a religious divide in society for narrow-minded political interests. We believe that citizenship should be granted based on principles of equality, irrespective of religion, caste, or creed. The Act’s provisions directly contradict these principles and threaten the secular fabric of our nation. We urge the government to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 and uphold the values of inclusivity and equality enshrined in the Indian Constitution."