After SC refuses stay on implementation of CAA, All eyes set on next hearing
After a lot of hue and cry and widespread protests across the country over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, refused to stay implementation of CAA and has scheduled January 22 to hear 59 pleas.
The bench issued notice to the Centre on the batch of pleas seeking stay on the operation of the law as well as on the main petition challenging the constitutional validity of the contentious law.
The amended citizenship bill which excludes migrants of the Muslim community from availing citizenship benefits in India, has continued to dominate headlines since past few days. Past precedents show, when a bill is passed in both the houses of parliament and gets SC’s nod, no State can refuse it’s implementation, no matter how much they oppose it and how many supporters they have backing their decision.
After the CAB got presidential assent, flare-ups in premier educational institutions and north-eastern states resulted in law and order problem in the country. There was news regarding the brutalities of police, provocative speeches by our elected political leaders and student unrest. Delhi’s Jamia University and Aligarh Muslim University were among those who witnessed massive protests. Nevertheless, the agitations will soon pass, no matter how strongly the protesters are protesting, the reality lies with the fact that the CAA has fulfilled all the formalities which are required for any bill to become an Act.
The only one institution that can stop CAA is the Supreme Court. Among those who filed petitons against the controversial act in the Supreme Court are Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Trinamool Congress MP (TMC) Mahua Moitra, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Tripura’s erstwhile ruling family scion Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), All Assam Students Union (AASU) and others.
The Bharatiya Janta Party has made it very clear that nothing can stop it from the implementation of this act. Recently, at a rally Amit Shah said, “Come what may, the Modi Govt will ensure that these refugees get Indian citizenship and live as Indians with honour.” Shah also used an oft-repeated justification for the CAA and maintained that because partition was done on the basis of religion and the minorities who are in Islamic states are suffering, that is why the amended citizenship act plans to give citizenship to minorities from other countries.
Given the current scenario, now all eyes are set on Jan 22, the day Supreme Court has scheduled to hear 59 pleas, filed by those opposing the CAA.
For more detail see other articles:
CAA Stir, How Citizens are resisting the controversial act
Why is there an uproar over Citizenship Amendment Bill?
