The Modi government on Monday announced the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, CAA.

In a social media post, Home Minister Amit Shah said, the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 have been notified. The Citizenship Amendment Act seeks to make minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities persecuted on religious grounds in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship.

The Home Minister said that with this notification, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered on another commitment and realised the promise of the makers of the Constitution to the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains,  Parsis and Christians living in those countries.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur today said Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is not a law to take away citizenship, but to give citizenship. In a social media post, Mr Thakur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled another guarantee of his, from resolution to accomplishment.

He stated that by issuing the notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act, the Modi Government has paved the way for granting Indian citizenship and rehabilitation to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, Christian minorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The CAA had received the assent of the President on the 12th of December, 2019. The Home Ministry spokesperson said in a social media post that applications for citizenship are to be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided.

It was an integral part of BJP’s 2019 manifesto.