First Set of 14 People Receive Citizenship Certificates Under CAA

New Delhi: Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday handed over citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to first 14 people in the national capital, kick-starting the process of granting Indian nationality to persecuted migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, news agency PTI reported quoting the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

The 14 people were granted Indian nationality after their applications were processed online through a designated portal, an official spokesperson told PTI.

Congratulating the applicants, the Home Secretary highlighted the salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, ANI reported quoting the MHA.  

Crying tears of joy soon after receiving the certificate, Harish Kumar, one of the applicants told news agency ANI, “I have been living in Delhi for the last 13-14 years. This is a feeling of dream come true for me".

Expressing his happiness upon being granted the citizenship, Kumar said this has given me a new lease of life, and I am very thankful to the central government".

The CAA was enacted in December 2019 to operationalise and regulate the process of grant of Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

After the enactment, the CAA got the president's assent but the rules under which the Indian citizenship was granted were issued only on March 11 this year after about four years of delay. 

Days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, the Modi government at the Centre had kicked off the process of granting Indian citizenship to those eligible under the new rules unveiled on March 11.

The rules came into force with immediate effect, according to a gazette notification.

The CAA had sparked protests in various parts of the country in late 2019 and early 2020 over its alleged discriminatory provisions. 

In April this year, Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar highlighted India's history of openness and hospitality towards individuals from diverse societies, stating that the Citizenship Amendment Act introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government showcases India's welcoming approach.  

“That's why we have the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), which is to open up doors for people who are in trouble... I think we should be open to people who have the need to come to India, who have a claim to come to India", he had said.

Rejecting the criticism of CAA, Jaishankar noted, "There are people who publicly said on record that because of CAA, a million Muslims will lose their citizenship in this country…Why are they not being held to account? Because nobody has lost citizenship.”

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)