Citizenship Amendment Act: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday (June 27) handed over Indian citizenship certificates to three applicants of the state under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Two of these individuals are from Pakistan, and one is from Bangladesh.
The CAA, enacted in December 2019, aims to provide Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.
Who got citizenship?
Madhya Pradesh CM gave citizenship certificates to three individuals from Pakistan and Bangladesh: Rakhi Das, Sameer Melwani, and Sanjana Melwani, under the CAA Act. Sameer and Sanjana have been residing in India since 2012 but had not acquired Indian citizenship until now. With the issuance of these certificates, all three individuals have officially become citizens of India.
During the issuance of certificates, Chief Minister Yadav said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has removed this difficulty, demonstrating a relationship that recalls the unity of India. Yadav said, "In 1947, the then governments assured our Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, and Parsi brothers who stayed in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and faced much hardship. They were considered foreign here, despite being part of undivided India. Now, the Modi government has provided them security under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). To preserve their faith, they had to come to India. Two new generations are becoming part of our country's future. It's a joyous occasion, and we also welcome Bangladeshi women gaining citizenship. We welcome such people."
First certificates in Delhi
Earlier, on May 15, 2024, the Union Home Secretary handed over the first set of citizenship certificates to applicants in New Delhi, following the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 on March 11, 2024.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, outline the application process, which includes submission via an online portal, review by District Level Committees (DLCs), and final approval by State Level Empowered Committees (ECs). The rules apply to persons from Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution or fear thereof.
Despite the CAA's enactment in 2019, the rules for granting citizenship under the Act were only issued on March 11, 2024, following a delay of more than four years. These rules outline the application process, procedures for processing applications by District Level Committees (DLCs), and the final approval by State Level Empowered Committees (SLECs). The entire process is managed through an online portal.
The passage of the CAA in 2019 triggered widespread protests across the country, with critics labeling the law as "discriminatory." Over a hundred people died during the anti-CAA protests or in related police actions. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has consistently stated that the CAA, being the law of the land, will be implemented and has accused opposition parties of misleading the public on the issue.
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