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
Moon sighting for the start of the month of Ramazan, for end of fastings- Eidul Fitr, for the month of Hajj and Muharram:
The moon sighting is so easy. We the people of India and have Indian Standard Time all.over India.
When we can accept the moon sighting in Delhi and announcement from Delhi as it was during times of Radio and Doordarshan news, why can we not accept the sighting of moon in coastal region of Karnataka and in Kerala?
Let us bring about change for good.
Why is rest of Karnataka or India not joining for Eid with coastal region and kerala? At the time of Radio and Dorrdarshan only days, all of India used to wait for 8.00 pm news for updates of moon sighting. So why not accept the moon signing witnesses in Kerala or coastal region?
I request all Indians to accept the witnessing of Moon sighting in any area of India and start and end Fasting.
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