4 Years After Bill Passed, Citizenship Law CAA Becomes Reality

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has long been one of the CAA's fiercest and most vocal critics, has said her government will oppose "anything that discriminates (against) people".

The government on Monday issued a notification for implementation of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act. The CAA - which makes religion, for the first time, a test of citizenship - was cleared by Parliament in December 2019 amid violent protests, in which over 100 people died, and fierce resistance from opposition politicians and non-BJP states.

Now that the notification is issued, the government can grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants - from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan - who came to India before 2015. 

Implementation of the Citizenship Act - a major campaign platform for the ruling BJP in the 2019 general election and various state polls - comes just weeks before the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party will bid for a third consecutive term.