SC to Hear Over 200 Petitions on CAA Rules Today
Today, the Supreme Court will conduct a hearing on the CAA rules, examining 200 petitions challenging its implementation five years after parliamentary approval.
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The Supreme Court of India is set to review around 200 petitions challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 today. Supreme Court CAA petitions are calling for a halt on the CAA's implementation and its 2024 rules. The CAA, an update to the 1955 Citizenship Act, was enacted by the Central Government on March 11, five years after its approval in December 2019. It aims to provide a faster citizenship path for migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, or Christian communities who fled to India due to religious persecution before December 31, 2014.
The SC hearing on CAA rules will be overseen by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Critics argue that the CAA discriminates against Muslims, violating the constitutional right to equality under Article 14.
Kerala was the first state to challenge the CAA at the Supreme Court, claiming it goes against the Constitution's equality principles. It has also contested the CAA's regulations in a separate case. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal recently highlighted a plea from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), questioning the timing of the CAA's implementation right before the Lok Sabha elections. The SC review of the Citizenship Amendment Act is set to address these diverse challenges.
Prominent figures like Congress's Jairam Ramesh, AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, Assam Congress's Debabrata Saikia, TMC's Mahua Moitra, and groups like Rihai Manch, Citizens Against Hate, law students, and the Assam Advocates Association have filed petitions. Owaisi has been vocal against the BJP's support for the CAA, emphasising that laws based on religion are unacceptable in India. He stressed that the issue transcends political boundaries, affecting the nation's core values and potentially impacting 17 crore Muslims against the Constitution's foundational principles.
These developments highlight the significance of the Supreme Court hearing on CAA as it grapples with the complex legal and constitutional implications raised by various petitioners.
