SC to hear over 200 pleas seeking a stay of CAA rules today. What we know so far
The Supreme Court of India to hear 200 petitions challenging Citizenship Amendment Act implementation seeking a stay. CAA implemented by Central government five years after passing in parliament.
The Supreme Court of India will hear a cluster of about 200 petitions challenging the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 today, March 19. The petitions are seeking a stay on CAA implementation and the Citizenship Amendment Rules 2024.
On March 11, the Central government implemented the CAA five years after it was passed in parliament in December 2019. CAA is an amendment to the Citizenship Act of 1955.
Under this new act, migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who are members of the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, or Christian communities and arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution in their home countries, will have an expedited route to Indian citizenship.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will hear the petitions.
The petitioners claimed that CAA discriminated against the Muslim community. It has been argued that this religious segregation is unreasonable and infringes on Article 14's right to quality.
In 2020, Kerala became the first state to knock on the doors of the Supreme Court challenging the CAA because it violated the Indian Constitution's guarantees of the right to equality. It has also filed a second case in the top court challenging the CAA regulations.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal last week brought up a plea filed by Kerala-based Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) before the apex court. In the petition, IUML questioned the Centre's move to implement CAA days before the Lok Sabha elections.
Some other petitioners include Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, TMC leader Mahua Moitra, along with NGOs Rihai Manch and Citizens Against Hate, some law students and Assam Advocates Association.
Owaisi criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party's stance on the CAA, asserting that formulating a law based on religion is not permissible in the country.
“This is not a matter restricted to political parties. This is a matter for the whole nation. Do you want to make 17 crore Muslims stateless? This is against the fundamentals of the Constitution. This won't pass even the reasonable test," the AIMIM chief said.
(With inputs from agencies)
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Business NewsNewsIndiaSC to hear over 200 pleas seeking a stay of CAA rules today. What we know so far
First Published:19 Mar 2024, 08:24 AM IST
- Top Gainers
- Top Losers
- 52 Week High