Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reiterated that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will never be taken back and has dismissed the opposition’s charge that the Act is unconstitutional. In an interview with ANI, Shah stated that ensuring Indian citizenship is the sovereign right of the country and that the government will never compromise on it. He also emphasized that CAA does not violate Article 14 as it follows a clear and reasonable classification.
Shah further dismissed the provision of detention camps in the Act. He emphasized that the opposition often refers to Article 14 but overlooks the fact that there are two clauses in that article. According to Shah, CAA does not violate Article 14 and there is a clear and reasonable classification in the law.
Responding to the opposition leaders’ claim that they will repeal CAA if they come to power in 2024, Shah expressed confidence that the INDI alliance will not come to power and stated that it is impossible to repeal CAA. He highlighted that CAA is a fully constitutionally valid law and the Supreme Court has not stayed it. Shah also questioned Uddhav Thackeray, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, urging him to clarify his stance on CAA implementation and accusing him of playing appeasement politics for minority votes.
Addressing the criticism from AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who labeled CAA as anti-Muslim, Shah questioned the logic behind such claims. He argued that there cannot be religious oppression of Muslims since Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh are declared Islamic states. Shah emphasized that CAA does not provide for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and there is no provision in the law to take away anyone’s citizenship.
Regarding the connection between CAA and NRC, Shah clarified that the two are not interconnected. He stated that CAA will be implemented in Assam and other parts of the country, except in the states of the North East where special rights have been granted to the people. Shah also highlighted that the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, has been officially implemented by the Centre.
The Union Home Ministry recently released guidelines for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act. These guidelines were released just days before the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule.
In conclusion, Amit Shah asserts that CAA will never be taken back and dismisses the opposition’s charge of unconstitutionality. He defends the Act’s compliance with Article 14 and challenges Uddhav Thackeray to clarify his stance on CAA implementation. Shah counters Asaduddin Owaisi’s argument of CAA being anti-Muslim and emphasizes the absence of provisions for NRC in the Act. He also discusses the connection between CAA and NRC and highlights the recent guidelines released by the Union Home Ministry for CAA implementation.
