Shantanu Thakur
Union Minister Shantanu Thakur has asserted that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, commonly known as CAA, will be implemented nationwide within the next week. Speaking at a public rally in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, Thakur, who is also the Lok Sabha MP for Bangaon representing the BJP, guaranteed the enactment of CAA across all states, emphasizing that it’s not limited to West Bengal alone.
The CAA, introduced by the Narendra Modi government, grants Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. This includes Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.
Following its passage by Parliament in December 2019 and subsequent Presidential assent, the CAA sparked significant protests in various parts of the country. Despite opposition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the CAA during a party meeting in Kolkata, accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the public on the matter.
The BJP has highlighted the implementation of the CAA as a significant electoral promise, attributing its support in West Bengal to this pledge. However, the procedural aspect of framing rules for legislation under the CAA has seen the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking extensions from parliamentary committees since 2020.
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While more than a hundred casualties occurred during protests and subsequent police actions after the law’s passage, the government has continued to pursue the implementation of the CAA. Additionally, over the past two years, district magistrates and home secretaries in nine states have been empowered to grant Indian citizenship to eligible migrants under the Citizenship Act of 1955, further emphasizing the government’s stance on the issue.
