During a press briefing on Wednesday (March 13th), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal strongly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre for its implementation of rules related to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Kejriwal expressed concerns over the government’s priorities, highlighting the lack of employment opportunities for Indian youth while emphasizing the allocation of resources towards settling immigrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh. He pointed out that significant funds would be utilized to accommodate Pakistani individuals in India, citing a sizable minority population in these countries. Kejriwal questioned the rationale behind this decision, suggesting it might be driven by political motives aimed at securing votes.
The press conference was prompted by the Centre’s notification of rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which enables Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh to attain Indian citizenship.
The recent notification of rules under the law by the Modi government has stirred up considerable controversy across the country, with opposition parties taking aim at the BJP-led Central government.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a vocal critic of the Act, denounced the newly announced rules as “ambiguous, unconstitutional, and discriminatory.”
Meanwhile, the Congress has seized upon the timing of the rule notification, questioning why it took over four years since the passage of the Act in 2014. Jairam Ramesh expressed concern over the delay, emphasizing that citizenship should not be based on religion, as it contradicts constitutional principles.
Attempting to address concerns among certain segments of the Muslim community regarding their exclusion from the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the Union Home Ministry assured Indian Muslims that the legislation would not affect their citizenship rights. They emphasized that the CAA is unrelated to the rights enjoyed by the Muslim community, who are equal citizens under the law alongside their Hindu counterparts.
