Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra on Sunday said that the final draft of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is expected to be ready by March 30, 2024.
“The process to roll out CAA has gained momentum in the last couple of years… some issues are being sorted out. Nobody can snatch citizenship rights from the Matuas. By March next year, the final draft of the CAA is expected to be ready for coming into force,” the BJP leader said while addressing the Matua community at Thakurnagar in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.
Local BJP MP and Union minister Santanu Thakur was also present on the occasion.
“This bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Dec 9, 2019. In Rajya Sabha, it was passed on Dec 11, 2019. On December 12 it was made an Act. On January 10, 2020, the Act came into force. After becoming an Act, there are certain laws and regulations to be framed. The legislative committee of Lok Sabha has set the deadline for January 9 next year. The legislative committee of Rajya Sabha has set the deadline for March 30, 2024. Definitely, the CAA will be implemented,” he further said.
“Some opposition parties have also gone to the Supreme Court and filed petitions….There are 220 petitions filed by opposition parties against us,” the Minister added.
The CAA seeks to grant Indian citizenship to religiously persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from neighbouring Islamic countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan entering India before December 31, 2014.
