The Supreme Court is set to hear a multitude of petitions on Tuesday, encompassing over 200 challenges against the implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) by the Centre.
Led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and accompanied by Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, the bench will preside over these petitions seeking a halt on the enforcement of both the CAA and the Citizenship Amendment Rules 2024.
200+ CAA Petitions Today In SC
Last week, a plea brought forth by the Kerala-based Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was brought to the attention of Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal. This plea questioned the validity of the Centre’s decision to implement the controversial law, especially given the proximity of the Lok Sabha elections. The petitioners argue that the CAA fosters discrimination against Muslims solely based on their religious affiliation, thereby infringing upon the fundamental right to equality as enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution, as reported by India Today.
Numerous prominent figures and organizations have joined the fray in challenging the CAA, including Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, Congress stalwart and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, and Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia. Additionally, various NGOs such as Rihai Manch and Citizens Against Hate, along with the Assam Advocates Association and several law students, have also lent their voices to the legal battle against the CAA.
Notably, the IUML, Debabrata Saikia, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) have not only challenged the CAA itself but also the accompanying Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024, through which the CAA was operationalized, as reported by India Today.
Kerala, leading the charge against the CAA, was the first state to initiate legal action in 2020, citing violations of the Right to Equality guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. Furthermore, Kerala has filed a separate case in the Supreme Court challenging the rules framed under the CAA.
200+ CAA Petitions Today In SC
In his plea to the Supreme Court, Owaisi emphasized that the ramifications of the CAA extend beyond merely granting citizenship, characterizing it as a deliberate act of isolating the minority Muslim community and subjecting them to discriminatory treatment.
Throughout the legal proceedings, the Centre has staunchly defended its stance, asserting that the CAA upholds the legal, democratic, and secular rights of citizens. Consequently, the Centre has urged the court to dismiss the petitions challenging the CAA. Implemented by the Central government on March 11, 2024, five years after its passage in Parliament in December 2019, the CAA has sparked nationwide protests and intense scrutiny, as per media reports.
This legislation amends the Citizenship Act of 1955, offering an expedited route to Indian citizenship for migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian communities. Eligibility is contingent upon their arrival in India on or before December 31, 2014, owing to religious persecution in their countries of origin.
