Indian gov’t defends contentious citizenship law, says will not be revoked

“This is our sovereign right to ensure Indian citizenship in our country, we will never compromise on it and CAA will never be taken back,” Shah said in an interview with India’s ANI news agency. The CAA, which sparked widespread criticism for being considered anti-Muslim, provides a fast track to Indian citizenship for migrants from minorities in the Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

The amendment was passed in 2019, triggering large-scale protests across India with the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi suppressing a violent crackdown against the protesters. The amendment sparked fears that, in conjunction with a proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens, the law is part of the Hindu nationalist leader’s effort to create a religious test for Indian citizenship and could lead to the widespread disenfranchisement of nearly 200 million Indian Muslims.

Akhand Bharat
The CAA was finally implemented on Monday, amid criticism from both within and outside the country, and came weeks ahead of the general election, expected to be held this summer. In the interview, the home minister said it was their moral and constitutional responsibility to ensure a place of refuge for those who suffered religious persecution in “Akhand Bharat” – a concept of a larger India encompassing current India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet.

Shah underlined that Muslims could apply for citizenship in India, in a process that takes at least 11 years, and that the Indian government would consider their cases taking into account national security and other factors. The minister defended that the CAA is a “special law” and exclusively aimed at persecuted minorities who crossed the border without any valid documents.