CAA rules unlikely until Jan 2022, suggests Union Minister's reply in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: The rules under the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 may not be notified this year, suggests a statement made by Nityanand Rai, Minister of State in the Home Affairs in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The Union Minister was replying to an unstarred question by Indian National Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi which asked whether the Government is aware of missing the deadline to frame and notify Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) rules.

The MP from Assam's Kaliabor constituency has also asked about the steps taken by the Union Government to frame such rules and the reasons not to frame them under the Act.

The Minister replied that The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) was notified on December 12, 2019, and has come into force on January 10, 2020. According to the reply, the Committees on Subordinate Legislation of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have requested to grant further extension of time up to 09.01.2022 to frame the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

The reply suggests that the rules under the controversial Act might not be framed till January next year.

The Minister also informed on Tuesday that the Central Government has issued advisory to the State Governments of Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland on 10.03.2021 to take appropriate action as per law to check the illegal influx of Myanmar nationals into India .He was replying to the another questions raised by MPs S.R. Parthiban and Ravneeth Singh.

Saying that detention and deportation of illegal migrants after nationality verification is a continuous process, the Minister added that Central Government has issued instructions from time to time to all States and UTs regarding identification of illegal migrants and their deportation from India. According to the reply, consolidated instructions regarding issues of overstay and illegal migration of foreign nationals have also been issued on March 30th of this year.

Towards the question whether the Government propose to provide humanitarian relief to those people who have migrated from Myanmar, the Minister replied that the country has first and foremost constitutional duty and obligation towards its citizens to ensure that demographic and social structure of the country is not changed to their detriment due to influx of illegal immigrants into the territory of India.

Adding to the reply, he further said "the country needs to ensure that resources of the nation are utilised to fulfil the fundamental rights of Indian citizens".