New Delhi: The Center said on Wednesday that Indian citizenship to beneficiaries that qualified based on the citizenship amendment law (CAA) would only be given after the rules under the law were notified.
The United States Minister for Houses Nityanand Rai also said there were no proposals considered by the government for further changes from the citizenship law.
“People who meet the requirements covered by citizenship amendment laws can submit a request for citizenship after the right rules are notified by the central government,” he said in a written reply for a query at Rajya Sabha.
He was asked whether the government had received new applications for citizenship after CAA 2019 was enforced.
CAA was notified on December 12, 2019 and came into force since January 10, 2020, said the Minister.
“Committees on subordinate laws, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been asked to provide further extra time until January 9, 2022 to frame the rules of the citizenship law (amendment),” Rai said.
The aim of CAA is to provide Indian citizenship to minorities that are persecuted such as Hinduism, Sikh, Jain, Buddha, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
The government gets an extension for the fifth time to frame these rules.
According to the manual about parliamentary work, the rules for each law must be framed in the six months of the president’s approval or extra time must be searched.
Those from the communities mentioned who came to India until December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, would not be treated as illegal immigrants but were given Indian citizenship.
After the CAA was passed by parliament, protests were widespread witnessed in various parts of the country which led to the death of nearly 100 people in police shots and related violence.