Dismiss pleas challenging the validity of CAA: Centre to SC

New Delhi: The Centre urged the Supreme Court to dismiss pleas challenging the validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in a 150-page affidavit.

It defended the exclusion of certain areas of Assam and other northeastern states from the application of the CAA. The Ministry of Home Affairs said the law does not encourage "illegal migration" in Assam or any future influx of foreigners in the country. Calling the application "not discriminatory," the Centre insisted the exceptions are to "protect the ethnic and linguistic rights of the natives." Speaking further about the issue of Assam, the Centre stated the Assamese have the complete right to conserve their language, script, and culture.

The law will grant citizenship only to migrants belonging to six specific communities from three countries who came on or before December 31, 2014, said the Home Ministry. "These migrants are already living in India. The Amendment Act does not have any provision which provides for the grant of citizenship to such migrants who would have come after December 31, till date or on any future date."

The government added that the CAA facilitates citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian migrants who fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan due to religious persecution.

The MHA asserted that the Parliament is competent to make laws for the whole country or any part of the territory as provided in Article 245 (1) of the Constitution. "The issues of the policy domain cannot be challenged in a court of law." A bench of Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and justices S Ravindra Bhat and Bela M Trivedi is hearing 232 petitions on the issue and most of them are Public Interest Litigations (PIL).