The Ministry of Home Affairs of India has asked for more time from Parliamentary Committee to frame and design the rules for Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA). They have sought time on the grounds of undergoing a consultation process. This is one of the extensions that MHA had sought from the Parliamentary Committee. The last time they have asked for the extension was on January 9 on subordinate legislation in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha to frame the rules for Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.
MHA said CAA rules delayed due to COVID-19
MHA has sought more time to draft the rules for CAA, 2019. MHA has asked for more time on the grounds of undergoing the consultation process and delays caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rules are mandatory to implement the said Act, in the absence of rules no act can be implemented. As per the senior government officials stated that MHA has asked three-month extension to notify the rules for the act first one is consultation and the second is COVID-19. The home ministry spokesperson is yet to respond to the delay in framing the rules.
Assam Government led by Bhartiya Janta Party in April 2020 had requested MHA to impose a three-month time limit to apply under CAA. After that three-month window, no one could be benefitted under the Act.
What is CAA?
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, grants citizenship to people (non-muslims and minorities) of neighboring nations. These nations are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh. The people who have entered India before December 31, 2014, are going to be covered under this Act. This Act has attracted a mass protest against the Government across India. Major protests were broke out in Assam who called and opposed CAA as it violates the provision of Assam Accord 1985. According to the Assam accord provision, all the persons who had entered the State from the Bangladesh border after March 24, 1971, must be detected and deported back to Bangladesh.
Last year in August, Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) published that excluded 19 lakh applicants out of the 3.4 crores of applicants as a result of the Assam Accord. The NRC was monitored by the Supreme Court of India. It is important to note that the final NRC is yet to be implemented in Assam and Assam is the only state that has created the NRC register. The Tribals areas of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Assam, and the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur are exempted from CAA coverage.
This Act was passed by both houses of Parliament on December 11, 2019, and got approval from President on December 12. The MHA had first notified about the implementation of the Act on January 10, 2020. Then Ministry sought time till 9 April 2021 to frame the rules.