CAA Notification Triggers Sharp Reactions From Congress, AIMIM; BJP Leaders Hail Move

The notification of the Citizens Amendment Act 2019 by the Home Ministry has attracted a sharp reaction from the opposition parties. While the BJP leaders hailed the decision that came just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, opposition leaders including Congress party's Jairam Ramesh, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi termed it a political move aimed at torturing Muslim.

The Ministry of Home Affairs today announced the implementation of the Citizens Amendment Act 2019, enabling the expedited granting of citizenship to undocumented minority migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, except Muslims. 

Congress, AIMIM Slam BJP

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hit out at the Modi government for the false claim of working professionally. He questioned the timing of the notification which is yet another demonstration of the Prime Minister’s blatant lies. "After seeking nine extensions for the notification of the rules, the timing right before the elections is designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam. It also appears to be an attempt to manage the headlines after the Supreme Court’s severe strictures on the Electoral Bonds Scandal," said Ramesh.

Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi termed it a move against Muslims. "Understand the sequence, first comes the election season, then the CAA rules follow. Our objections to the CAA remain unchanged. The CAA is divisive and founded on the ideology of Godse, who aimed to relegate Muslims to second-class citizenship," Owaisi posted on X.

दस साल देश पर राज करने के बाद एन चुनाव के पहले मोदी सरकार CAA लेकर आयी है। ऐसे वक़्त जब गरीब और मध्यम वर्ग महंगाई से कराह रहा है और बेरोज़गार युवा रोज़गार के लिए दर दर की ठोकरें खा रहा है, उन असली मुद्दों का समाधान करने की बजाय ये लोग CAA लाये हैं।

कह रहे हैं कि तीन पड़ोसी देशों… — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 11, 2024

During a press conference, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee called it a publicity stunt by the BJP.  "Let me see the rules first....If people are deprived of their rights under the rules, then we will fight against it. This is BJP's publicity for elections, it is nothing else," said Banerjee.

Former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Modi government saying that while the citizens of India are fleeing abroad for jobs, bringing of 'citizenship law' for others will prove detrimental to the nation. 

BJP Leaders Hail Move

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that this act will pave the way for a respectable life for minorities. "The decision to enact the Citizenship (Amendment) Act for the welfare of suffering humanity is historic. This has paved the way for a respectable life for the minority communities suffering from religious brutality in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan," said CM Yogi Adityanath.

Home Minister Amit Shah took a post on X and  said, "PM Narendra Modi Ji has delivered on another commitment and realised the promise of the makers of our constitution to the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains,  Parsis and Christians living in those countries."

West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that it will fulfil the long-pending demand of the Matua community. "The long-standing demand of the Matua Community will now be fulfilled and they will get Citizenship and no one can deny them their rights, not even Mamata Banerjee," said Adhikari while praising the central government for notifying the rules of CAA.