Jairam Ramesh accuses BJP government of CAA timing for election polarization

In a sharp accusation, the Congress Party has pointed to the timing of the notification of rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), alleging it is a deliberate move to polarize the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, particularly in West Bengal and Assam.

Congress General Secretary, Jairam Ramesh, denounced the timing of the announcement, asserting it as another attempt by the ruling government to "manage the headlines" following the recent Supreme Court's scrutiny on the electoral bonds issue.

Ramesh highlighted the extensive delay, stating that it took four years and three months for the Narendra Modi government to finally notify the rules for the law, which was cleared by Parliament in December 2019.

"After seeking nine extensions for the notification of the rules, the timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarize the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam," remarked the Congress leader.

Challenging the government's claims of efficiency, Ramesh emphasized, "The prime minister claims that his government works in a business-like and time-bound manner. The time taken to notify the rules for the CAA is yet another demonstration of the prime minister's blatant lies."

The recently notified rules for the implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, allow for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, according to officials.

With the CAA rules now in place, the Modi government will commence granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India till December 31, 2014. This includes Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.

Passed in December 2019 and subsequently receiving the president's assent, the CAA had sparked protests across the country. Over a hundred lives were lost during the anti-CAA protests or police action.