CAA: Citizenship Amendment Act to Be Enforced Across India Before Lok Sabha Elections, States Amit Shah

New Delhi, 10th February 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is actively gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made a significant announcement regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). During a program, Shah declared that the CAA would be implemented nationwide before the Lok Sabha elections.

Shah clarified that the CAA’s objective is not to revoke the citizenship of any individual but to grant citizenship to minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh facing religious persecution. He emphasized that this commitment aligns with the Congress party’s historical stance, noting that during the partition, Congress had welcomed minorities fleeing persecution, promising them citizenship in India.

Addressing concerns and alleged misinformation, Shah accused the opposition of misleading Muslims about the CAA. He emphasized that the CAA’s sole purpose is to offer citizenship to religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

The CAA, introduced by the Narendra Modi government, aims to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim immigrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians, who arrived in India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014.

Since the CAA’s passage in December 2019, followed by presidential assent, the country has witnessed widespread protests. Shah also discussed the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, framing it as a battle between corruption and development.

He emphasized that the election is not merely INDIA versus NDA but a choice between corrupt governance and a zero-tolerance stance against corruption. Shah further characterized the election as a decision between those prioritizing national security and those jeopardizing it in the guise of foreign policy.