New Delhi: A day after notifying the rules under Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the Union home ministry on Tuesday asserted that Indian Muslims need not worry as the CAA will not impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the community which enjoys equal rights as their Hindu counterparts in the country. The ministry also launched a portal for people eligible to apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, an official spokesperson said.
“The Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 under the CAA-2019 have been notified. A new portal has been launched, persons eligible under CAA-2019 can apply for citizenship on this portal indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in,” the spokesperson said.
The ministry sought to allay fears of a section of Muslims and students regarding the CAA, making it clear that “no Indian citizen would be asked to produce any document to prove his citizenship after this Act.”
The ministry said, “Due to the persecution of minorities in those three Muslim countries, the name of Islam was badly tarnished all around the world. However, Islam, being a peaceful religion, never preaches or suggests hatred/violence/any persecution on religious ground,” while adding this Act “protects Islam from being tarnished in the name of persecution.”
Meanwhile, anti-CAA protests erupted in Assam with effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and copies of the law being burnt. Security was tightened in many parts of Delhi with paramilitary personnel conducting night patrols and flag marches in the northeastern parts of the city, Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar and other sensitive areas after the Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
On the contrary, several noted Muslim activists and leaders have expressed their support for the Citizenship Amendment Act. One of the several objectives of the Citizenship Amendment Act is stoppage of further influx of illegal immigrants, who have been eating into the tax-payers money, Kashish Warsi, Bartiya Sufi Foundation president said.
He said the CAA provides the persecuted minorities of the three Islamic countries a special status in the naturalisation process, adding it does not prevent other communities to avail the general asylum process.
