MHA says data of applicants for citizenship under CAA not readily available
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has stated that information regarding applicants who became Indian citizens under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019 is not readily available. This was disclosed in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by The Hindu. The MHA explained that only the readily available information can be provided, and as per the RTI Act of 2005, the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) is not required to create or compile data specifically for the purpose of responding to an RTI request.
The Citizenship Amendment Act, passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, allows undocumented migrants from six non-Muslim communities—Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian—from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to seek Indian citizenship. The Act covers those who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, and reduces the required residence period for citizenship from 11 years to five years.
In a previous RTI response dated April 15, 2024, the MHA had clarified that there is no provision under the Citizenship Act of 1955, or its amendment in 2019, to maintain records of applications submitted under the CAA. This meant that the Ministry does not have a detailed or accessible database for the number of applications or their status. This position was reiterated in response to another RTI filed by Maharashtra resident Ajay Bose, where the MHA confirmed that it does not maintain records as requested, and thus the information should be considered "NIL."
The exact number of beneficiaries under the CAA remains unknown. During the 2019 parliamentary debate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah suggested that "lakhs and crores" of people would benefit from the Act. However, a report from the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, presented to a parliamentary committee, estimated that around 31,000 people would be the immediate beneficiaries. Specifically, the report stated that 31,313 individuals from minority communities—Hindus (25,447), Sikhs (5,807), Christians (55), Buddhists (2), and Parsis (2)—had been granted long-term visas due to claims of religious persecution in their respective countries. These individuals were seen as immediate candidates for Indian citizenship under the CAA.
Despite the passage of the CAA in 2019, the implementation of the Act faced delays. It was only on March 11, 2024, just days before the announcement of the 2024 general elections, that the MHA notified the CAA Rules, which officially enabled the implementation of the Act. The rules were essential for processing applications under the CAA and formalizing the path to citizenship for the targeted communities.
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B'desh: Lawyer killed in clash between security personnel, followers of Hindu leader
Dhaka, Nov 26: A lawyer was killed on Tuesday during clashes between the security personnel and followers of a Hindu community leader, who was denied bail and sent to jail by a Bangladesh court, according to local media reports.
The victim was identified as Saiful Islam, a 35-year-old assistant public prosecutor and a member of the Chattogram District Bar Association, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
Citing Dr Nibedita Ghosh, a duty doctor at the emergency department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, the paper said that six others were injured in the clashes that erupted after Chattogram’s Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate court denied bail to prominent Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, arrested on sedition charges.
Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, president of the Chittagong Lawyers' Association, said that protesters dragged a lawyer from beneath his chamber and hacked him to death.
As Das was being taken away in a police van, he addressed the crowd through a hand mike, urging them to remain calm.
Around 3 pm, the law enforcement agencies resorted to sound grenades, tear gas shells, and baton charges, dispersing the protesters.
Deputy Commissioner of City Police Liaquat Ali confirmed one death but said they were still investigating the cause.
The Daily Star newspaper reported that at least 10 people, including journalists, were injured during the clash.
