CAA News Live: MHA to release helpline number to assist applicants under CAA

"As of today, the YSR Congress Party does not accept the CAA rules in its current format. We have repeatedly urged on the floor of Parliament for amendments to the law to make it acceptable to everyone," says YSRCP leader Hafeez Khan

“It is obviously politically motivated. Why is this issue being raised now, when the (Lok Sabha) elections are just around the corner and the Model Code of Conduct is going to be imposed? This is a ploy to distract the public from the Supreme Court’s directive to release electoral bond data by a certain date,” says JMM leader Mahua Majh

Under the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019, a helpline number will soon be launched to assist applicants for Indian citizenship. Applicants can call toll-free from anywhere in India to obtain information related to CAA-2019. The service will be available from 8am to 8pm, said Ministry of Home Affairs

The BJP on Wednesday accused the opposition of 'stoking communal passion' over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) asking them to 'stop spreading lies about it'. "I will ask those stoking communal passion in the name of the CAA that they should stop spreading lies about it," BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Responding to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's comments accusing BJP of using CAA as a 'vote-bank' tactic, the senior BJP leader said, "Kejriwal ji, how far will you go in anticipation of vote bank? Home minister Amit Shah has repeatedly made it clear that the citizenship of any Indian citizen will not be taken away."

According to Union Minister Giriraj Singh, the CAA will "grant" citizenship to Indian citizens, and "no one should have a problem" with it. "No one should have a problem with CAA. The law will not snatch citizenship. It is going to give citizenship to citizens of India," he said. Replying to a query on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said, "Let us see in the Lok Sabha elections. She is playing appeasement politics in West Bengal and will have to pay for it."

"Why are we keeping out Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamils? It shows that they are against Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamils," he said.

"It does not at all deprive any Indians of their citizenship. CAA only gives citizenship to those who are persecuted based on their faith. I want to tell those trying to spread communal tension in the name of CAA, to stop. Stop telling lies. I urge the parties of south India, particularly from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, to stop spreading hatred," he said.

On CAA, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said, "As far as my opinions are concerned, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh has questioned it (CAA) over the timing of (notifying it). You passed it (in Parliament) in 2019. Were you waiting for Lok Sabha Elections for its implementation? Several questions still remain unanswered. BJP is unable to answer. I support whatever Jairam Ramesh or Congress party's official spokespersons have said...I heard about West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Arvind Kejriwal. Wait and see which states want to implement it and which don't. This will be decided by the Constitution of India."

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) will hold a'satyagraha' across the state on Wednesday to protest the implementation of the disputed Citizenship Amendment Act. For the past two days, opposition parties such as the Congress and various NGOs have organized anti-CAA protests throughout the state. The students' organisation had taken out a torchlight procession in several parts of the state on Tuesday evening. Several student and non-political indigenous organisations along with opposition political parties in Assam have been opposing the CAA, claiming that it violates the provision of the 1985 Assam Accord.

"The BJP has open India's door for Pakistani and Bangladeshi residents. This is dangerous for the country; the northeast states - especially Assam - will have to pay for it. The culture of Assam is in danger because of the illegal migrants from Bangladesh. The BJP wants to provide citizenship to these illegal migrants. (Assam CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma has betrayed his people," he said.

Addressing a press conference on CAA, Kejriwal said, "The government money would be used to settle the Pakistani people in India. In these countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan), there are approximately 2.5 to 3 crore minorities. Once India opens its doors, a lot of people will come to India from these countries. Who will provide employment to these refugees? Why is this being done? Some people say it's just a part of vote bank politics,"

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has betrayed his people, he said.

BJP is the only party in the world that is opening India's doors to the poor of neighbouring countries, he said.

The demonstration was held in front of the organisation's office at Aizawl's Treasury Square. The Centre on Monday implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. The ILP is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur whereby anyone from other parts of the country seeking to visit these states needs special permission from the state government. (PTI)

Kejriwal on Monday said the notification on the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) just weeks before the Lok Sabha elections was an attempt to distract people’s attention from the “real issues”. In a statement on X, he said that while the poor and the middle class were badly impacted due to inflation and unemployed youths were struggling to get jobs, the BJP-led central govt had implemented the CAA. “They (BJP-led central govt) are promising citizenship to the minorities from three neighbouring countries in India. That means they want to bring people from neighbouring countries to India and settle them. Why? To create your vote bank,” Kejriwal said.

Migrants from Pakistan celebrated implementation of CAA in Jodhpur. Furthermore, migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan living in Amritsar were happy about the implementation of CAA. The CAA was enacted in December 2019 and came into force on January 10, 2020. However, the Act could not be implemented as the rules were not notified. Enactment of the law drew criticism from a certain section and opposition parties, who dubbed the Act as discriminatory and sought for its rollback.

Hitting out at the Centre's decision to implement CAA rules across the country, former Arunachal Pradesh CM Nabam Tuki said that it is bad for Northeast. The ministry of home affairs on Monday notified the Citizenship Amendment Rules. The rules will now facilitate minorities facing persecution on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to obtain Indian citizenship. The rule enables granting of citizenship to citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Christian, Buddhist & Parsi communities, who had migrated to India on (or)before December 31, 2014. An online system for application, processing & grant of citizenship under CAA is being explored by home ministry.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday criticised the central government for notifying the rules for implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019.

The AIADMK leader called it 'huge historical blunder.'

"In the context of the announcement of general elections, the ruling BJP government at the Center has published a notification in the gazette that the CAA Act 2019 (Citizenship Amendment Act) will be implemented from today. AIADMK has been insisting that this Act should not affect any indigenous community in the country," Palaniswami said in a post on X on Tuesday.

All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) on Tuesday moved SC seeking a stay on implementation of CAA, even as protests continued in the state against the Centre's decision to notify the legislation."We have trust in SC and it will give justice to people of northeast," Aasu general secretary Utpal Sarma told the media in New Delhi.

Indian soldiers and Pakistani Rangers had just begun their parade at Wagah-Attari border gates, swinging their legs to exaggerated heights amid patriotic cheer, when Vinod Raheja along with seven family members crossed over to India on Dec 31, 2014, with visitors' visas, hours before the mammoth gates slammed shut.

CM Mamata Banerjee to take part in the roadshow. The roadshow will begin from Mainak and end at Venus More, in Siliguri: West Bengal Minister Aroop Biswas

No Indian citizen would be asked to produce any document to prove citizenship.

Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat attacked the central government on Tuesday for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)."There are three main reasons why we oppose it. Firstly, it changes the definition of citizenship and links it to religion which is highly discriminatory. Secondly, we oppose it because of the timing of this announcement. BJP thrives on polarisation and division - it is in the DNA of their politics," she said.Speaking to ANI, the leader further said that "They have not given powers to the state government. They have not included state governments on the CAA panel. It is objectionable."Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the social media warriors' meet in Secunderabad, said that Congress always opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) due to the appeasement and vote bank politics adding that Constitution drafters at the time of the country's independence had promised refugees who left Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan over oppression, will be granted Indian citizenship.

Owaisi, Kharge, Rahul Gandhi are lying that minorities will lose citizenship due to CAA.

I assure there is no provision in CAA to snatch away anyone's citizenship

Union Home minister Amit Shah will interact with social media warriors at the Hyderabad outskirts before lunch and post lunch he will address a public meeting and interaction with booth level workers in Hyderabad.

"This is a step taken to divide the country. This is a step by the BJP govt, just ahead of Lok Sabha elections, to reap political benefits. We will strongly oppose this.we will make all efforts to oppose this legally as well. We will never support such steps that decide citizenship according to the religion of people."

An application was filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a direction to the Centre to stay the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 till the pendency of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 before the apex court. The application was filed a day after the Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, by notifying the rules four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.The application, filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is one of the petitioners who have challenged the citizenship law, has sought the court's direction to ensure no coercive action is taken against people belonging to the Muslim community pending adjudication of the writ petitions. Muslims cannot apply for Indian citizenship under the CAA.

Students' groups at Jamia Millia Islamia on Tuesday protested against the implementation of CAA and demanded the Centre to withdraw it. Addressing a press conference near one of the gates of the varsity, the protesting students pressed for repeal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and release all students who were booked in the anti-CAA protest nearly four years ago. They also demanded withdrawal of the cases against the students. The students addressed the media from inside the Jamia Millia Islamia campus while the Delhi Police remained guarded outside. Slogans such as "Delhi Police wapas jao" and "Inqalab Zindabad" were raised at the protest. Scores of students gathered on the campus with posters demanding the release of student activists who were part of the 2019 anti-CAA protests. They also demanded "demilitarisation" of the university campus as security in the area was beefed up after the government notified rules for implementation of the CAA on Monday.