SC to hear pleas against Citizenship Amendment Rules today
The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear a clutch of over 230 petitions seeking a temporary stay on the enforcement of the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 until the court can determine their constitutionality. This move comes in response to submissions made by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who represents the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). To recall, the rules of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act were notified earlier this month on the cusp of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.
Why does this story matter?
The CAA rules, introduced by the Centre and approved by Parliament in 2019, have ignited protests in various regions of the country. This controversial law—which aims to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014—has faced criticism for its alleged discriminatory provisions.
IUML requests pause on Citizenship Amendment Rules
The IUML, along with various other parties and individuals, has approached the SC with a request to pause the enforcement of the new rules. According to IUML's application, this law sets up a "highly truncated and fast-tracked process" for granting citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants from certain countries. This creates an "unquestionably arbitrary and discriminatory" system based solely on religious identity, the application said.
IUML advocates for temporary citizenship for Muslim community
The IUML is urging the apex court to instruct the central government to accept provisional citizenship applications from members of the Muslim community. The party's application seeks assurance that no forceful action will be taken against Muslims during the adjudication of these writ petitions. It also requests a report on the eligibility for citizenship of Muslims, who are currently unable to apply for Indian citizenship under the CAA.
Centre challenges petitioners' authority in CAA case
Representing the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta raised doubts about the standing of the petitioners. He argued, "No petitioner has any locus to question the grant of citizenship." Mehta noted before the court that there are currently 237 pending petitions against the CAA, including four interim applications that seek a pause on its enforcement.
Other parties and individuals joining in opposition
Other parties such as the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) have filed applications alongside IUML. Additionally, leaders like Debabrata Saika, the opposition leader in the Assam Assembly, and Congress MP from Assam Abdul Khaleque have also submitted applications. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has petitioned the Supreme Court against the CAA, seeking directions to stop processing applications for citizenship status under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act during proceedings.