Citizenship cut-off date for CAA likely to be extended beyond December 2014

NEW DELHI: The cut-off date for granting citizenship as per the citizenship amendment act (CAA) is likely to be extended beyond December 31, 2014.

According to an Economic Times report, persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan will be able to apply for citizenship online through a dedicated portal, once the rules for CAA are notified.

Meanwhile, the rules for the citizenship amendment act (CAA) are likely to be notified before the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

It may be mentioned here that the CAA rules, which are reportedly ready to be notified, were under works ever since the act was passed in 2019.

The CAA was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 10, 2019 and in the Rajya Sabha two days later after it was introduced in the upper house by union home minister Amit Shah.

The controversial CAA aims to provide citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

The act drew heavy criticism from politicians and citizens alike for ostensibly singling out Muslims and excluding them from its purview.

The act aims to provide citizenship to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians purportedly fleeing persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.