BJP ally demands CAA repeal at all-party meet

Agatha Sangma of National People's Party, an ally of the ruling BJP, on Sunday sought the repeal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act for the people of Northeast similar to how the government is repealing the farm laws.

"Keeping in mind the sentiments of the people of the north-east, just as sentiments of the people were kept in mind while repealing the farm laws, I requested the government to repeal the CAA," the MP from Meghalaya's Tura demanded during an all-party meeting ahead of Parliament's Winter Session.

Sources said ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Piyush Goyal, who were present at the meeting did not respond to her demand.

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The CAA has been opposed by several parties across India. There have been huge protests, especially in Assam, against the law that provides citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who faced persecution and entered Indian before December 2014.

Though the law was cleared by the Parliament on December 12, 2019 and the President gave his assent on January 10, 2020, the government is yet to frame rules. Due to this, the Act cannot be implemented.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has been repeatedly seeking an extension from the Committees on the Subordinate Legislation of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In its fifth extension, the MHA now has time till January 9 next year to frame rules.

According to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, the rules for any legislation should be framed within six months of presidential assent or an extension must be sought.

According to the report of the Joint Committee of Parliament that vetted a previous version of the Bill, there were 31,313 people belonging to minority communities from these countries will be “immediate beneficiaries”, as they had been given Long Term Visas on the basis of their claim of religious persecution in their respective countries and want Indian citizenship. Among 31,313, the Intelligence Bureau told the panel, 25,447 are Hindus, 5,807 are Sikhs, 55 Christians and two each Buddhists and Parsis.