May 15th 2024.
On Wednesday, the 14 people in New Delhi finally received their citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Act. This comes almost two months after the rules of the controversial law were announced, which aimed to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from neighboring countries. It was a momentous occasion, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah calling it a "historic day". He emphasized that this was the end of a long wait for those who had faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
The Home Secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, personally handed over the certificates to the 14 individuals. Their applications were processed through a designated online portal. This event took place during the ongoing general elections, which began on April 19 and will end on June 1, with the results being announced on June 4.
The Citizenship Act was passed in December 2019, with the aim of granting Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians who had migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014. However, the rules for implementing this law were only announced on March 11 of this year, after a delay of four years.
During the ceremony of granting citizenship certificates, the Home Secretary congratulated the 14 applicants and highlighted the important features of the Citizenship Rules of 2024. The Secretary Posts, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Registrar General of India, and other senior officers were also present during this event.
Home Minister Shah expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling the promise made during the country's independence to provide justice and rights to those who had suffered for years due to religious persecution. He also assured all the refugees that the Modi government is committed to granting citizenship to all of them through the Citizenship Act.
The rules of the CAA specify the application process, as well as the procedure for processing and granting citizenship by the District Level Committee and the State Level Empowered Committee. As per these rules, applications were received from individuals belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities who had migrated from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution.
The District Level Committees, chaired by designated officers, carefully verified the documents and administered the oath of allegiance to the applicants. Once the applications were processed, they were forwarded to the State Level Empowered Committee, headed by the Director. The entire process was done online.
After thorough scrutiny, the Empowered Committee in Delhi granted citizenship to the 14 applicants. The Director himself handed over the citizenship certificates to these individuals, marking a significant step in their journey towards officially becoming Indian citizens.
The Citizenship Act, since its passing in 2019, has sparked protests in various parts of the country, with many calling it discriminatory. Unfortunately, over 100 people have lost their lives during the anti-CAA protests or due to police action. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has remained firm in his stance that no one can stop the implementation of the CAA, as it is now the law of the land. He has also accused the opposition of spreading misinformation and misleading the public about the true intentions of the Act.
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