New Delhi, 19 March 2024
The Supreme Court is set to consider multiple requests urging the government to put a pause on the enforcement of the CAA 2024, on tuesday. These requests stem from lingering legal uncertainties surrounding the legality of the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which are awaiting resolution by the court. Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), emphasized the importance of an expedited hearing, asserting that once obtained, Indian citizenship of migrant Hindus cannot be revoked. Sibal’s assertions found resonance within a panel comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, underscoring the urgency of the matter.
The IUML, a political entity based in Kerala, has filed a case in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the implementation of the regulations, just a day after their publication under the ambit of the CAA. The Islamic Ulama Council (IUML) echoed similar sentiments, urging for the suspension of the contentious law and regulations, advocating against punitive actions targeting members of the Muslim community who might be adversely affected by the legislation.
On the other hand Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the state would refrain from implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) guidelines following their publication by the Union Home Ministry on March 11. Vijayan emphasized Kerala’s stance by stating that “the LDF administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to declare that Kerala will not enforce the Citizenship Amendment Act in its entirety.” Kerala stands as the pioneering state to challenge the CAA by filing a petition with the Supreme Court, with plans underway to initiate further legal actions in the near future.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), introduced by the Central government and ratified by Parliament in 2019, aims to extend Indian citizenship to persecuted migrants hailing from Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities who fled from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and sought refuge in India prior to December 31, 2014.
