Final draft of citizenship amendment act to be ready by March 30 next year, says union minister

NEW DELHI: The final draft of the controversial citizenship amendment act (CAA) is expected to be ready by March 30 of next year.

This was stated by union minister Ajay Mishra, news agency PTI reported.

Mishra made this statement while addressing a gathering of Matua community at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district.

“You will get the full rights of citizenship. In the absence of proper documents, no action can be initiated against you. This we have included in the Act,” the minister told the gathering.

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“The process to roll out CAA has gained momentum in the last couple of years. Nobody can snatch citizenship rights from the Matuas. By March next year, the final draft of the CAA is expected to be ready for coming into force,” PTI quoted the minister as saying.

The citizenship amendment act (CAA) seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan entering India before December 31, 2014.