NET Web Desk
The Centre on August 5, Wednesday informed that there are no proposals to modify the Citizenship Act to provide Indian status to members of other minority communities from the countries in question.
“No such suggestion is under consideration,” Nityanand Rai, Union Minister of State for Home, stated in the Rajya Sabha in response to a query about whether the government is considering amending the Citizenship Act to include other minorities.
The contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed in 2019, aims to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.
Rai further stated that Indian citizenship will be granted to qualifying CAA beneficiaries only after the legislation’s guidelines are published.
In a written response to another question in the Upper House, he replied, “Eligible persons covered by the Citizenship Amendment Act may submit applications for award of citizenship after relevant rules are notified by the central government.”
The CAA was notified on December 12, 2019, and went into effect on January 10, 2020, according to the ministry.
The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Committees on Subordinate Legislation have been asked to provide a further extension of time to establish rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, until January 9, 2022,” Rai added.
For the fifth time, the administration has been given more time to draft these rules.
According to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, any legislation’s rules must be drafted within six months of presidential assent, unless an extension is requested.
Those from the aforementioned communities who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, and were subjected to religious persecution would not be classified as illegal immigrants but will be granted Indian citizenship instead.