Congress’ Jairam Ramesh questions the 4-year delay in implementing CAA

The Congress on Wednesday questioned why it took the Centre more than four years to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and one month ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to ANI during the Maharastra leg of the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that granting citizenship based on religion is against the constitution.

“We are raising the issues of farmers, youth, women & labourers. What are BJP’s issues? What are PM Modi’s issues? He does not talk about the 10 years of injustice…They have only one weapon in this election, & that is polarization…The CAA rule is made after 4 years and 3 months…Now that only a month is left for the elections, they are giving a dose of polarization…”

“He (PM Modi) is showing the dream of Viksit Bharat (developed India) and Amrit Kaal,” the Congress leader said, taking a dig at PM.

Soon after the implementation of the CAA rules, INDIA bloc leaders hit out at the Modi government and expressed opposition.

“Tamil Nadu & West Bengal governments have said (CAA will not be implemented). We were against CAA because giving citizenship based on religion is against the Constitution. This has been challenged in the Supreme Court as well…Why did it take them 4 years and 3 months to implement it?…,” the Congress MP said.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the Modi government on the CAA notification and alleged that this was just a gimmick ahead of the general elections and as soon as anyone applies for citizenship under CAA the person will fall under the “illegal migrants”.

“Central Government implemented CAA yesterday, I am doubtful of its legality. There is no clarity from the Government over this. This is just a gimmick ahead of the elections. In 2019, names of 13 Lakh Hindu Bengalis, out of the total 19 Lakh, were removed from the list in Assam in the name of NRC. Several people died by suicide,” she said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) only “creates division” and would not be implemented in the southern Indian state.”The BJP government’s divisive agenda has weaponised the Citizenship Act, turning it from a beacon of humanity to a tool of discrimination based on religion and race through the enactment of CAA. By betraying Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamils, they sowed seeds of division,” Stalin said in a statement on X.”

On March 11, the Union Home Ministry notified the rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule.
The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government and passed by Parliament in 2019, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants–including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians–who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.