People protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019. (Express Photo/File)The Supreme Court Monday said that it will hear a batch of petitions challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, on December 6, while appointing two nodal counsels for the compilation of all relevant documents pertaining to the case.
The apex court also asked state governments of Assam and Tripura to file a response within two weeks in matters specifically concerning them.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit, comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Bela M Trivedi, was hearing the petitions by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and others challenging the validity of the CAA.
The bench appointed Advocates Pallavi Pratap, advocate for petitioner Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and advocate Kanu Agrawal (Central government counsel) as nodal counsel to compile all relevant documents. “Having noted that there are various pleas projecting multiple views, resolution of entire controversy can be achieved if two or three matters are taken as lead matters and convenience compilations of all counsels are prepared well in advance. this will make proceedings convenient,” the bench noted.
Supreme Court posts petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 for hearing on December 6. @IndianExpress
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The top court also asked the nodal counsel to share the compilation with all lawyers pertaining to the matter, and “designate one or two other matters as lead matters keeping in mind geographical/religious classification”.
On Sunday, the Union government told the Supreme Court that the CAA is a “narrow” piece of legislation that does not affect the existing regime for obtaining Indian citizenship, and legal migration, on the basis of valid documents and visa, continues to be permissible from all countries.
Urging the top court to dismiss the pleas, the government said in its affidavit that the Act “does not in any way encourage illegal migration into Assam” and termed it an “unfounded…apprehension”.
— with inputs from Bar and Bench