This is the fifth extension sought by the Central government for framing of the rules for a much hyped law.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the central government has sought an extension till January 9 for framing rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was passed by Parliament in 2019.
Mr Rai was replying to a question from Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who had asked whether the government had missed the deadline to frame and notify CAA rules and the steps taken in this context.
“The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) has been notified on 12.12.2019 and has come into force w.e.f. 10.01.2020,” the minister said.
“The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been requested to grant further extension of time upto 09.01.2022 to frame the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019,” Mr Rai said.
The ammended citizenship law of India grants nationality to persecuted non-Muslim minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
This is the fifth extension sought by the Central government for framing of the rules for a much hyped law.
The rules for any legislation should have been framed within six months of presidential assent or seek extension, according to the Manual on Parliamentary Work.
The objective of the new citizenship law is to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
As per the law, people from these communities who had come to India till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
Widespread protests erupted across the country after the CAA was passed in parliament, leading to deaths of nearly 100 people in police firing and related violence.
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