Kerala Government Urges Supreme Court to Halt Implementation of CAA
In a significant move, the Kerala government has taken its stand against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to the highest judicial authority, the Supreme Court. Seeking to prevent the Centre from enforcing the CAA, the state government has also requested a stay on the CAA rules recently notified on March 11.
The petition filed by the Kerala government argues that the CAA is not only divisive but also one-sided, illogical, and contrary to the secular principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution. It vehemently opposes the notion of granting citizenship based on religion, terming it discriminatory.
This latest legal challenge by Kerala follows its initial action in January 2020 when it filed an original suit against the CAA before the Supreme Court under Article 131 of the Constitution. The state contended that the amended law violated the Right to Equality provisions guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.
The implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the subsequent notification of rules by the Centre on March 11, have sparked renewed legal battles and public debates. The contentious law, passed by Parliament four years ago, aims to expedite citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014.
With the notification of the CAA rules, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has commenced the process of granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians, from the aforementioned countries, provided they arrived in India before the stipulated deadline.
This move by the Kerala government underscores the ongoing nationwide controversy surrounding the CAA, reflecting the deep-seated concerns about its implications for the country’s secular fabric and constitutional values. As the legal battle unfolds in the apex court, the outcome will likely shape the future trajectory of citizenship laws and the broader socio-political landscape of India.
