File photo of anti-CAA protests. Photo: PTI

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has requested another six-month extension to frame the rules under the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) – making this the seventh similar extension, The Hindu reported.

The CAA was passed by both Houses of parliament at the end 0f 2019, amidst widespread nationwide protests. For the first time, this law made citizenship directly correlated to a person’s religion. Under the CAA, non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014 are eligible for fast-track Indian citizenship.

However, without the rules being framed, the Act cannot be implemented.

In November, Union home minister Amit Shah had said that the rules were being formulated and there had been a delay because of the pandemic. Before that, in August, he had said that the law would be implemented once the COVID-19 vaccination drive had been completed.

The CAA was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 10, 2019 and in the Rajya Sabha two days later after it was introduced in the upper house by Shah. The move drew heavy criticism from politicians and citizens alike for ostensibly singling out Muslims and excluding them from its purview.

The Act aims to provide citizenship to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians purportedly fleeing persecution from India’s Muslim-majority neighbours; namely, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

This story was originally published in thewire.in . Read the full story here