SC to consider plea to transfer PILs in HCs against CAA

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on January 10 a plea by the Union government to transfer PILs filed in different High Courts against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, to the top court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter before a bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde, saying different HCs may take conflicting views and about 60 PILs have already been filed in the Supreme Court.

Mehta said one such PIL filed in Karnataka High Court was coming up for hearing this week.

"We feel the HC should not take a view when the matter is pending here," the bench said.

At one point, the bench also said, "Let the HC come to conclusion, we might have the advantage of HC orders."

On this, Mehta said different HCs might take conflicting and contrary views.

On December 18, the top court decided to examine the validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 but refused to grant any stay on the statute, which has triggered massive protests across the country.

The court had issued notice to the Union government and put the matter for consideration on January 22.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 got its assent from President on December 12, after its passage from both the Houses of Parliament.

A batch of petitions were filed challenging constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which allowed Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, except Muslims, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to get Indian citizenship if they entered the country before December 31, 2014, for having suffered religious persecution.

Among other grounds, the amended Act was being opposed by students and various political parties for having changed the character of Indian citizenship by removing its basis from secular to overtly favouring specific religious groups.