Centre Implements Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls 

New Delhi: The Centre has finally enforced the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), initiating its implementation five years after it was approved in Parliament. This development precedes the expected announcement of Lok Sabha election dates by the Election Commission of India.

Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated his dedication to executing the CAA before this year’s Lok Sabha elections, following the formulation and issuance of the necessary rules.

Passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, the CAA has been a contentious topic, triggering extensive debates and protests across India. The amendment aims to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955, providing an accelerated pathway to Indian citizenship for persecuted non-Muslim migrants—including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians—who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

Notably, places like Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh witnessed prolonged sit-ins, while protest gatherings unfolded in Guwahati, Assam. However, these demonstrations gradually waned amidst COVID-related restrictions and lockdown measures.