Muslim League moves SC against Centre seeking applications for citizenship of non-Muslim refugees

NEW DELHI: The Indian Union Muslim League has moved the Supreme Court challenging the recent Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification seeking applications for citizenship from non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

IUML has moved the Supreme Court against the Centre’s notification making it possible for persons residing in certain districts belonging to minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, to apply for Indian citizenship.

The Centre on Friday invited non-Muslim refugees such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists belonging to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship.

With Friday night's order, the total number of districts where such a facility is available has gone up to 29 districts in nine states.

The Union home ministry issued a notification to this effect for immediate implementation of the order under the Citizenship Act 1955 and Rules framed under the law in 2009 even though the rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) enacted in 2019 are yet to be framed by the government.

When the CAA was enacted in 2019, there were widespread protests across the country and had even led to clashes and riots in Delhi in early 2020.

According to the CAA, Indian citizenship will be given to non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan -- Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian -- who had come to India till December 31, 2014.