SC issues notice on fresh pleas challenging constitutional validity of CAA

The top court, on December 18 last year, had decided to examine the constitutional validity of the CAA while refusing to stay its operation.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Central government on five fresh pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 on various grounds including that the specific exclusion of Muslims was against the right to equality and secularism under the Constitution.

The CAA, which was notified on January 10, grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities -- Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian -- who migrated to India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh till December 31, 2014, following persecution over their faith.

The top court, on December 18 last year, had decided to examine the constitutional