The Opposition parties questioned the timing of notification of rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, and called it a divisive step aimed at diverting attention from the controversy over electoral bonds.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh pointed out that it had taken the government four years and three months to bring the rules of an Act that was passed by Parliament in December 2019. “The Prime Minister claims that his government works in a business-like and time-bound manner. The time taken to notify the rules for the CAA is yet another demonstration of the Prime Minister’s blatant lies,” he said.
The Congress general secretary also alleged that the announcement is yet another attempt to “manage the headlines” after the Supreme Court’s strictures on the electoral bonds issue. “After seeking nine extensions for notification of the rules, the timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam,” the Congress leader said.
With the CAA rules being issued, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who came to India till December 31, 2014. These include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians.
‘Politics of distraction’
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav used the opportunity to attack the BJP citing the high rate of emigration during their 10-year rule. “When the citizens of the country are forced to go out for livelihood, then what will happen by bringing ‘citizenship law’ for others? The public has now understood the BJP’s game of politics of distraction,” he posted on X.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati too took to social media to question the utility of the CAA. “Instead of implementing the law before the election, it would have been better to implement it only after clearing doubts, confusion and addressing the fear about the law,” she said.
