The CAA, which facilitates granting of Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed by Parliament in December 2019, triggering protests in different parts of the country.
In a written reply, Nityanand Rai The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said that it has not yet come to a decision on a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) in response to queries raised by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs headed by Congress MP Anand Sharma.
”The Rules under The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 are under preparation Said MHA
The committee had questioned the ministry saying there was a lot of dissatisfaction and fear with regard to the NPR and Census, since the Central government had been giving mixed signals about the nationwide NRC
For this MHA has come out with answers that linked to Census where it said
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“All individual-level information collected in Census are confidential.
In Census, only aggregated data are released at various administrative levels.
Like the earlier Censuses, wide publicity measures would be taken up for creating proper awareness among public so as to conduct and complete the Census 2021 successfully.
Questionnaires for Census along with that of NPR have been tested at Pre-test conducted successfully across the country.
It has been clarified at various levels in Government time and again that till now no decision has been taken to create National Register of Indian citizen,” the MHA stated,
Incidentally, the Home Ministry had on February 4, 2020 said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that the government had not taken any decision on preparing a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC),
It is relevant to mention here that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on July 17, 2019 said in Rajya Sabha that the Central government will identify illegal immigrants staying in any part of the country and deport them as per international law,
Amit Shah was replying to a supplementary query posed by Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan on whether the National Register of Citizens will be implemented in states other than Assam, where the exercise was then being undertaken, as well.
“It is a very good question. The NRC is part of the Assam Accord and was also in (BJP’s) election manifesto based on which the government has come to power.
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The government will identify illegal immigrants living on every inch of the country’s soil and will deport them as per the international law,” Shah gleefully said with Ruling party MPs thumping the desk in the Upper House.
Time Line of India’s most Controversial and nationwide agitation evoked CAA NRC act
The President had given his assent to the The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 on December 12, 2019.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 was notified on December 12, 2019 and it came into force with effect from January 10, 2020.
Under the Act, people from these communities who had come to India till December 31, 2014 due to religious persecution in the three countries will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
After the CAA was passed by Parliament, widespread protests were witnessed in the country.
Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution.
They also allege that the CAA along with the National Register of Citizens is intended to target the Muslim community in India.
However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had dismissed the allegations and described the protests against the CAA as ”mostly political”. He had asserted that no Indian would lose citizenship due to the Act.
Oppositon Parties in India hit back and threw questions ” then why the hell this act ” to the Home Minister Amit Shah
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It is to be noted during 2020 American Election campaign both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris vehemently opposed India’s NRC CAA act
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In the same period during Feb 2020 Indian Prime Minsiter invited then American President Trump and thundered ” Future Amercian sarkar(government) as Trump Sarkar(Government ) in Gujarat state mega event where 60000 people participated in a Cricket stadium ground
During Feb 2020 Clashes between pro and anti-CAA groups had spiralled into communal riots in Northeast Delhi last year which had left at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.
It is to be noted The Manual on Parliamentary Work states that ”statutory rules, regulations and bye-laws will be framed within a period of six months from the date on which the relevant statute came into force”.
It also states that in case the ministries and departments are not able to frame the rules within the prescribed period of six months, ”they should seek extension of time from the Committee on Subordinate Legislation stating reasons for such extension”, which cannot be more than for a period of three months at a time.
The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have granted extension of time up to April 9 2020 and July 9 2020 , respectively to frame these rules under the CAA,” MHA said in a written reply.
Both Biden and Kamala occupied President and Vice President office as at Jan 20 2021 .
