Jaipur, March 14:
Rajasthan Muslim Forum has termed the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as inappropriate and unconstitutional.
In a press statement on Wednesday, RMF General Secretary Muhammad Nazimuddin stated that all the constituents of the Forum, in solidarity, are issuing this joint press statement to oppose the discriminatory law, CAA 2019, which undermines the fundamental principles of equality and justice. They strongly condemned the implementation of CAA just before the announcement of the general elections.
The Act contains provisions that hurt the principles of equality and secularism enshrined in the Constitution. Article 14 of the Constitution embodies general principles of equality before the law and prohibits unfair discrimination between individuals on the basis of religion.
The amendment to Section 2(b) of the Citizenship Act 1955 provides for granting citizenship to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities who have migrated from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, which discriminates between citizens on the basis of religion. According to this law, foreign nationals belonging to the above religions who entered India before December 31, 2014 will not be considered illegal immigrants.
This Act violates the fundamental right of equality and secularism guaranteed by the Constitution by providing selective citizenship based on religious affiliation and silently excludes Muslims from it, denying them the right to equality before the law. This discriminatory law threatens the social fabric of the country, hurting the fundamental principles of inclusivity and diversity.
The passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill by the Parliament has created unease among people across the country who are justice-loving and committed to protecting the Constitution.
The timing chosen for the implementation of the Act also raises questions about the government’s intentions and clearly shows the ruling party’s aim to create divisions in society on the basis of religion for its petty political interests.
“We believe citizenship should be granted on the basis of principles of equality, rather than religion, caste or creed. The provisions of the Act are directly against these principles and endanger the secular fabric of our country,” said the statement.
The Forum demanded that the government withdraw the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 and uphold the values of inclusivity and equality enshrined in the Constitution.
The CAA has been criticized for being discriminatory and for violating the principles of equality and secularism enshrined in the Constitution. There have been protests against the CAA across India.