New Delhi:

The authorities at the moment reiterated that the newly-implemented Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA would not curtail the liberty and alternative of Indian Muslims amid sharp criticism from the opposition, which phrases the transfer as discriminatory and motivated by the approaching Lok Sabha elections. It additionally asserted that there isn’t any bar on Muslims from anyplace on the planet to hunt Indian citizenship.

“Muslims from anywhere in the world can seek Indian citizenship under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, which deals with citizenship by naturalisation,” the Home Ministry mentioned.

The Centre on Monday notified the principles for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to scale back the qualification interval of software for citizenship from 11 to five years for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who got here to India earlier than December 31, 2014.

The Ministry of Home Affairs headed by Amit Shah insisted that the Act “does not prevent any Muslim, who is persecuted in those Islamic countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan) for practising their version of Islam, from applying for Indian citizenship under the existing laws”.

“CAA does not cancel the naturalisation laws. Therefore, any person including the Muslim migrants from any foreign country, seeking to be an Indian citizen, can apply for the same under the existing laws,” the ministry mentioned.

Indian Muslims needn’t fear as CAA has not made any provision to impression their citizenship and has nothing to do with the current 18 crore Indian Muslims, who’ve equal rights like their Hindu counterparts, the ministry mentioned, searching for to allay fears of a bit of Muslims concerning the CAA.

Protests have erupted in a number of components of the nation in opposition to the choice to implement CAA as some worry the regulation may very well be used to declare them unlawful immigrants and take away their Indian citizenship.

The authorities denies this and says the regulation is required to assist minorities dealing with persecution in Muslim-majority nations as per the “evergreen generous culture of India to get Indian citizenship for their happy and prosperous future”.

“No Indian citizen would be asked to produce any document to prove citizenship”, the ministry mentioned.

It additionally mentioned that the Citizenship Act would not cope with the deportation of unlawful immigrants. “Therefore, the concern of a section of the people including Muslims and students that CAA is against Muslim minorities is unjustifiable,” it added.

The authorities mentioned as a result of persecution of minorities in these three nations, Islam had been badly tarnished the world over. “However, Islam, being a peaceful religion, never preaches or suggests hatred/violence/any persecution on religious grounds. This Act, showing compassion and compensation for the persecution, protects Islam from being tarnished in the name of persecution,” it mentioned in an announcement.

Explaining the necessity for the regulation, the ministry mentioned to customize the citizenship system and management the unlawful migrants, there was a necessity for this Act.

The Constitution of India grants the federal government the best to offer citizenship from a humanitarian perspective to refugees who confronted spiritual persecution of their nations.

The regulation has been applied 4 years after the controversial regulation was handed. The ruling BJP, which dedicated to enacting the Citizenship Amendment Bill in its 2019 manifesto, mentioned the implementation was delayed as a result of pandemic.