SC to hear over 200 petitions seeking a stay of CAA rules today

Digital Desk: The Supreme Court of India is poised to deliberate on approximately 200 petitions challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) on Tuesday. These petitions exclaim for a suspension of the CAA's implementation along with the Citizenship Amendment Rules 2024.

The CAA, implemented by the Central government in December 2019, was put into effect on March 11, five years after its parliamentary ratification. A bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, is set to mull over the contentions put forth by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Indian Union Muslim League.

Sibal's contention highlights the irrevocability of Indian citizenship once conferred upon Hindu migrants, underscoring the exigency of an expedited hearing.

The Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 aims to confer Indian citizenship upon persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived before December 31, 2014, encompassing Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.

The introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Rules has stirred a response from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), prompting them to lodge a petition with the Supreme Court. 

IUML contends for a cessation of the enforcement of these rules and the contentious law, arguing against punitive measures targeting Muslims, who remain unshielded by the legislation.