Muslim League approaches Supreme Court seeking stay on Citizenship Amendment Act

NEW DELHI: Muslim League approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the central government's notification to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, stating it is unconstitutional. A letter was also given to the registrar to consider the stay application urgently. DYFI also filed a petition raising the same demand. After the lawyers of both groups mentioned the urgent demand in court, the court suggested sending a letter to the registrar.

Muslim League has stated that it has no objection to granting citizenship to those who came to the country as refugees. Legislation that denies rights to only one community is opposed. Citizenship should be given to all refugees regardless of religion. The Muslim League and DYFI have said that the government's action is uprooting secularism, which is the cornerstone of the constitution.

The Center has framed the rules and issued a notification on last Monday. Several petitions against the amendment are pending since 2019. The matter was last considered on April 17, 2023. In 2019, the law was amended to grant citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian refugees who arrived in the country from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before December 31, 2014.

Citizenship based on religion is argued to be a violation of fundamental rights.Muslim community was arbitrarily excluded, violating rights including equality guaranteed by the Constitution. The proceedings should be stayed until the final decision of the Supreme Court.

There are more than 250 petitions in the Supreme Court questioning the amendment. The first petition was submitted by the Muslim League in 2019, making them the main party in this case. Congress, CPM, CPI, DMK, Trinamool Congress, actor Kamal Haasan's Makkal Neethi Mayyam Party, main opposition parties, youth and student organizations and political parties in North Eastern states including Assam, have filed petitions. Kerala has filed a suit petition along with the resolution unanimously passed by the assembly.