New Delhi, Jan 27: Non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will have to provide proofs of their religious beliefs while applying for Indian citizenship under the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAA), officials said on Monday.
The applicants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Parsi faiths will also have to furnish documents to prove that they entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
Those who will seek Indian citizenship under the CAA will have to provide proofs of their religious beliefs and this will be mentioned in the rules to be issued under the CAA, a government official said.
According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants and will be given Indian citizenship.
The central government is also likely to give a relatively smaller window of just three months to those who want to apply for Indian citizenship in Assam under the CAA, another official said.
Some Assam-specific provisions are expected to be incorporated in the rules to be issued for the implementation of the CAA.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had made a request about a fortnight ago to keep a limited period window for applying under the CAA and also incorporate some other Assam-specific provisions in the CAA rules.
The move comes in view of continuing protests against the CAA in Assam that have been going on since the legislation was passed by Parliament in December last year.
There has been a growing feeling among the indigenous people of Assam that the newly enacted legislation will hurt their interests politically, culturally as well as socially.
The Assam Accord provides for detection and deportation of all illegal immigrants who have entered the country after 1971 and are living in the state, irrespective of their religion.
The protesters in Assam say that the CAA violates the provisions of the Assam Accord.
Comments
The biggest weapon of RSS is spreading lies and hatred. Who can stop that N Bomb?
Oh this big mouth minister from Left, I being a person from Kerala really know truth. CPIM uses their offices and politcians house to store arms. CM Vijayan and this fellow wanted to have special darshan tickets in Sabarimala and when it was shot down.... all this stories
Raid all mosques, churches and temples and check for arms
Bamboo Sticks/ Lathis are not Weapons. Donot get Bogged down. They cannot use weapons to hurt. They just open their mouth and shout
Time for Hindus to take back Kerala and Kashmir.
Chief Minister should order police raids on these arm stores and recover the arms, and install CCTV cameras to monitor the activities round the clock. CM needs to substantiate his allegations with proof. I fully agree with his view that no religious ceremony should take place during any official function, it has no place in secular democracy. Our constitution gives every citizen right to practice religion of his or her choice freely but not at state level. State has no religion.
Here is a Minister for Temples Administration. He defines a temple as a centre for traditions and beliefs. Sorry Comrade , a temple is a place for worship of God. If it is only a place of tradition and faith, there is the danger of it being appropriated by the communist Party, which has both tradition and faith. No temple in Kerala will allow storing of weapons within, may be in its offices or quarters of staff. Is it a plan for the commies to violate the sanctity of the temples?
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