Page 2 - Citizenship Act

CAA does not deprive citizenship; India does not need sermons: VP Dhankhar

'Some countries are yet to have a woman president, while we had a woman Prime Minister before even the UK,' asserted Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhat while warning against the spread of misinformation

LS polls: Challenge BJP to cross even 200 seats; won't allow CAA, says CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday mocked the BJP's target of winning 400-plus seats in the Lok Sabha polls and challenged the saffron camp to win at least 200 constituencies. Banerjee also asserted that she won't allow the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in the state. She cautioned people that applying for CAA would turn an applicant into a foreigner and urged them not to apply for it. "The BJP is saying "400 paar", I challenge them to cross the 200 seats benchmark first. In 2021 assembly polls, they gave a call of 200 plus seats but had to stop at 77," she said. "The CAA is a trap to turn legal citizens into foreigners. We would allow neither CAA nor NRC in West Bengal," she said while addressing her first rally in the election season after her injury earlier this month. Banerjee, the TMC supremo, slammed the opposition bloc INDIA partners -- CPI(M) and Congress-- for "joining hands with the BJP" in West Bengal. "There is no INDIA alliance in W

USCIRF raises concern over notification of rules to implement CAA

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has voiced concern over the Indian government's notification of rules to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), saying no one should be denied citizenship based on religion or belief. Rules for implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) were notified earlier this month, paving the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The problematic CAA establishes a religious requirement for asylum seekers in India fleeing neighbouring countries, USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck said in a statement Monday. Schneck said that while CAA provides a fast track to citizenship for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians, the law explicitly excludes Muslims. While critics have questioned the government over the exclusion of Muslims from the Act, India has strongly defended its move. "The CAA is about giving citizens

Kejriwal arrested to divert attention from electoral bonds scam: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the electoral bonds scam is the biggest corruption ever witnessed in India and added the BJP government at the Centre arrested his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal to divert attention from the same. Addressing the third consecutive rally organised here by the CPI(M) against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Vijayan alleged the BJP-led Central government and the Sangh Parivar give scant regard to the rule of the law in the country. He alleged that the Sangh Parivar was trying to take control of the Constitutional institutions and even threatening the country's judiciary. "The Union government, BJP, Sangh Parivar, they all very well know that the Supreme Court order on the electoral bond scam was harmful to them. They wanted to divert the attention from this topic and for that they have arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal," Vijayan said. The chief minister said when the idea of electoral bonds was floated, the CPI(

Media should be objective, not power broker: Vice President Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said media should not be a power broker and it serves its cause best by being objective and not getting involved in politics. He also termed the debate over the Citizenship Amendment Act "orchestrated" and urged the media to play its role in such a situation. The law does not deprive any Indian citizen of his or her citizenship rights but an impression is being generated differently, Dhankhar said. "It is unfortunate that some failed to recognise the historical context and soothing impact from human rights perspectives to persecuted minorities in the neighbourhood," he said referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act, rules for which were notified recently. He said the media serves its cause best by being objective and not getting involved in politics. "We know the ground reality. I will not reflect more on it," Dhankhar said. He also said that the media should not be a "power broker". "Media has to only do its job. The fourth pillar of

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK vows to repeal CAA if INDIA bloc is voted to power

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, a key constituent of the INDIA bloc, in its manifesto released on Wednesday promised to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 if the opposition alliance wins the Lok Sabha polls. Restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and holding polls there, scrapping the New Education Policy 2020, slashing fuel prices, annulling Article 361 of the Constitution that provides protection to governors from legal action and appointment of Governors following consultation with Chief Ministers, were among the key promises made by the DMK. The recommendations of the M S Swaminathan committee will be adopted to ensure that MSP for agricultural products "is set at total production cost plus 50 per cent," the DMK said. Also, it announced that if voted to power, the INDIA bloc will withdraw the Agnipath scheme and reintroduce "permanent recruitment service" in the Indian Armed forces. "From now on, population census, including caste-wise census and census concerning people

AIMIM Chief Owaisi approaches SC seeking stay on implementation of CAA

The Union Home Ministry notified the rules for implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on March 11

'Misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted': India responds to US on CAA

US State Department expressed 'concerned' about the notification of the CAA on March 11, and stated that they would be closely monitoring its implementation in India

Concerned about CAA, closely monitoring its implementation, says US

The United States on Thursday said it is concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in India and is closely monitoring its implementation. We are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on March 11, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily briefing. We are closely monitoring how this act will be implemented. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles, Miller said in response to a question. The Indian government implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 on Monday, paving the way for the grant of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. The government also came out with a press statement to say that Indian Muslims need not worry as the CAA will not impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the community which enjoy

CAA unconstitutional, challenge to idea of India; Cong silent: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the Citizenship Amendment Act was unconstitutional, against human rights, and poses a challenge to the idea of India and accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his party of staying silent on the issue. Vijayan, at a press conference here, alleged that the contentious legislation grants legal validity to religious discrimination, but the Congress was withdrawing from a united front against the CAA. In addition, the CM said, the Congress and its national president Mallikarjun Kharge were yet to comment on the recent notification of the CAA rules. He said that the only reaction from the Congress was that by Jairam Ramesh, party general secretary and in-charge of communications, questioning why the rules were hurriedly notified now more than four years after the legislation was passed by the Parliament. Vijayan contended that despite the lack of support from the Congress, the Kerala government will neither bend nor keep sil

People misled over CAA, nobody's citizenship to be snatched: Rajnath

Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said people are being misled over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, asserting that the legislation would not take away the citizenship of anyone living in India. Addressing a rally in Assam's Barpeta, he said the CAA will grant citizenship to religiously persecuted people who came to India till 2014 from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Singh was campaigning for BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad's candidate Phani Bhusan Choudhury, who is contesting the Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency, currently being represented by Congress MP Abdul Khaleque. "The people are being misled over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act... I assure you that this Act will not take away the citizenship of any people. It would only grant citizenship," the defence minister said. The Centre on Monday implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migran

Govt notified CAA rules a month before LS polls to polarise voters: Cong

On March 11, the Union Home Ministry notified rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

CAA will never be taken back, says Amit Shah days after Centre notified

The Home Minister was critical of opposition leaders like AIMIM's Asaddudin Owaisi and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for claiming that the CAA was anti-Muslim

MHA to launch helpline number to assist applicants seeking info on CAA

The helpline number will be toll-free and applicants can call from anywhere in India to obtain information related to CAA-2019

Indian Muslims need not worry, CAA has nothing to do with them: Govt

Indian Muslims need not worry as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will not impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the community which enjoys equal rights as their Hindu counterparts, the Home Ministry asserted on Tuesday. The ministry sought to allay fears of a section of Muslims and students regarding the CAA, making it clear that "no Indian citizen would be asked to produce any document to prove his citizenship after this Act." The Centre on Monday notified the ruled for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. In its statement, the Home Ministry said, "Due to the persecution of minorities in those three Muslim countries, the name of Islam was badly tarnished all around the world. However, Islam, being a peaceful religion, never preaches or suggests hatred/violence/any persecution on religious ground." This Act "protects Islam fro

CAA linked to NRC, won't allow detention camps in West Bengal: CM Mamata

"The CAA is related to NRC, that is why we are opposing it. We don't want detention camps like those in Assam," she told reporters here

'Stop telling lies': BJP responds to Arvind Kejriwal's criticism of CAA

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's criticised CAA, calling it 'dirty vote bank politics' by the BJP, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024

CAA in line with promise given by founding fathers: Kerala Governor

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that his government will not implement CAA in the state

FAQs on CAA: What the govt says about application, eligibility, & more

The CAA application, made completely online requires country of origin, proof of religion, date of entry into India, and language proficiency. Here what the government's release on the CAA rules say

PM Modi's decision right, says Smriti Irani defending CAA amid criticism

CM Banerjee said that CAA was linked to NRC and those who apply for CAA will immediately be considered illegal migrants, although they are citizens of the country