Centre issues first set of citizenship certificates under CAA to 14 people

Citizenship process under CAA involves granting Indian nationality to persecuted migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday handed over certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 to the first 14 people in New Delhi. Secretary Posts, Director (IB), Registrar General of India and senior officers were also present during the session.

Digitally signed certificates are also being issued to other applicants through email.

The process involves granting Indian nationality to undocumented non-Muslims migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The CAA was enacted in December 2019 but the rules under which the citizenship was granted were issued only on March 11 this year, marking nearly four years of delay.

The development comes amid Lok Sabha elections in which implementing the Act is a key poll plank of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The execution of the CAA is part of the BJP’s manifesto for this year’s election, a move heavily criticised by the left leaning Opposition parties, which regard it as a means of discrimination. Several Opposition leaders including West Bengal Mamata Banerjee have termed the controversial law as “dangerous,” which they believe could “foster” communal division in the country.

On May 3, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had confirmed that the first citizenship will be issued under the CAA before the last phase of the election, which is scheduled to be held on June 1.

Massive protests had erupted across India when the act was passed in 2019, in which over a hundred people lost their lives.