Citizenship Amendment Act will be implemented before Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Amit Shah (WATCH)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced during an event in the national capital that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be implemented nationwide before the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has confirmed that the Citizenship Amendment Act will be implemented across the country before the forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The Union Home Minister made the remark while Attending the Republic Summit in the national capital on Thursday. 

"I will repeat. CAA is the law of the nation. This is a reality. This will definitely be implemented. It will be implemented before the Lok Sabha Elections 2024," Shah said.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), initiated by the Narendra Modi government, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians, who fled from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and entered India prior to December 31, 2014.

After being passed by Parliament in December 2019 and receiving presidential approval, the CAA sparked widespread protests across the nation. However, despite its passage, the act has yet to be implemented.

The assertive statement from the Union Home Minister comes weeks after a similar statement from him in February. Another member of the Modi cabinet, Shantanu Thakur had, on Monday, informed media persons that the law would be implemented before the Lok Sabha elections. He quoted Amit Shah as saying that it was imperative that the CAA will implemented, emphasizing its constitutional significance and the need to provide refuge and settlement for individuals arriving from neighboring countries. 

Thakur assured that the CAA implementation won't affect the citizenship of current citizens. Thakur reiterated that there are no barriers to executing the CAA and affirmed its implementation before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He also assured that rules for CAA execution will be released soon, initiating the process of granting Indian nationality to beneficiaries promptly. The minister asserted that discussions are underway to expedite the CAA implementation process, ensuring swift completion. He expressed confidence that the Home Ministry has devised efficient strategies for CAA execution, aiming to accomplish it expeditiously.