New Delhi, In a move that has stirred significant controversy, the Indian government has finalized the implementation rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), just weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks reelection for a third term under his Hindu nationalist administration. The CAA, which facilitates Indian citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from neighboring countries, has been criticized for its exclusion of Muslims and raised concerns about India’s secular constitution.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the CAA was passed in December 2019 and allows Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians who fled to India from predominantly Muslim countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan before December 31, 2014, to acquire Indian citizenship. The legislation has been labeled “anti-Muslim” by various human rights organizations, questioning the secular ethos of India, which prides itself on being the world’s largest democracy.

The Modi government had postponed the drafting of the law’s rules following widespread protests and violent clashes in New Delhi, where dozens, primarily Muslims, were killed, and hundreds were injured. The government’s spokesman announced the implementation of the CAA, describing it as a fulfillment of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) 2019 election manifesto promise to provide a safe haven for persecuted minorities.

Muslim groups have expressed apprehensions that the CAA, in conjunction with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), could lead to discrimination against India’s approximately 200 million Muslims. There is a fear that the government could strip citizenship from Muslims lacking proper documentation, especially in some border regions.

This development has ignited a new wave of debates on India’s commitment to secularism and the protection of minority rights, casting a shadow over the upcoming elections and potentially affecting the nation’s social fabric.