The Bill will amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 that requires applicants to have resided in India for 11 of the previous 14 years. The amendment seeks to relax this requirement from 11 years to 6 years.
The Bill has become law with President Ram Nath Kovind formally giving his assent to it Thursday.
As expected, the Bill will face legal challenges and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is the first body to move the Supreme Court alleging that it violates the fundamental Right to Equality of the Constitution.
BACKLASH IN THE NORTHEAST
The Bill will impact on the northeast region the most. Violent protests have erupted there, especially in Assam and Tripura, as the indigenous people are worried that the entry of these people will endanger their identity and livelihood. Even as the Indian Army was deployed in Assam and Tripura Thursday, internet services have been suspended in both the states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday sought to assure the people, particularly of Assam, saying that they have nothing to worry about the CAB. He said no one can take away their rights, identity and culture. Modi further said Government is “totally committed to constitutionally safeguard the political, linguistic, cultural and land rights of the Assamese people in accordance with Clause 6” of the Assam Accord.
Leaders in Assam, however, believe that it will nullify the 1985 Assam Accord, which set March 24, 1971, as the cut-offdate for identification and deportation of illegal immigrants irrespective of religion. The CAB now seeks to give citizenship to all non-Muslim ‘foreigners’. The regional leaders, particularly in Assam, resent this. They want even Hindus who have come from Bangladesh, to be declared ‘foreigners’ and ousted from the state. The BJP on the other hand, it is alleged, wishes to protect its Hindu vote base.
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Bu hikaye News behind the News dergisinin December 16,2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
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TROUBLED TIME FOR MODI
The students’ unrest, however, which is spreading like wildfire across the nation, and the protests by large sections of people against the citizenship law, have belied the BJP’s hopes of having a free run in the foreseeable future in presiding over the country’s destiny from panchayats to parliament, as Union home minister Amit Shah once said.
MUST-WIN FOR BJP IN DELHI POLLS
Having failed to perform satisfactorily in the Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections, the BJP realizes that its rank and file will be hugely demoralized if it does not fare well in the forthcoming Delhi polls.
MILITARY MIGHT AT R-DAY PARADE
Anti-satellite weapon ‘Shakti’, lethal artillery gun ‘Dhanush’, and newly-inducted helicopters Apache and Chinook were among the key military assets showcased by India for the first time at the Republic Day parade on 26 January.
INDIA - PAKISTAN: DEALING WITH PAKISTAN'S AMBITIONS ON KASHMIR
Pakistan’s diplomatic offensive on Kashmir has gained some traction with the EU Parliament debating the issue along with the controversial Citizen’s (Amendment) Act (CAA).
EXPERT ANALYSES UNION BUDGET 2020-21: A MIXED BAG
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s second Budget presented three themes -- aspiring India, economic development, caring society. And it seeks to cater to the demand side of the economy by trying to put more money in the hands of individuals.
DELHI ELECTION: BJP HOPES TO GAIN FROM CAA INSTILLED POLARISATION
The anti-CAA protests took a violent turn as a 17-year-old teenager Thursday shot a Kashmiri protester near Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi.
CAA DEBATE IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: INDIA UNDER PRESSURE
Much to the relief of India, the European Parliament Wednesday decided to put off a vote on a resolution critical of India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to a session beginning on March 2. The move is being seen as linked to the upcoming India-EU Summit next month.
JAMMU AND KASHMIR: BJP IN A TIGHT CORNER
The government’s policies on Kashmir give the impression that it has bitten off more than it can chew. This is also probably true of the citizenship issue as well, but more of that later.
LAYING A ROAD MAP FOR THE FIRST CDS
Laying a road map for the first CDS, General Rawat, Gurmeet Kanwal (former director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi) suggests the first item on the agenda “should be the formulation of integrated operational plans.
JAMMU AND KASHMIR: ‘FUNDAMENTAL DISAFFECTION' HAS NOT GONE AWAY
A convoy of three dozen Union ministers descended on the newlycreated Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir last week to promote development plans of the Centre.