India Implements Controversial Citizenship Law Amid Protests

The Indian government's recent implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, criticized for discriminating against Muslims, has sparked widespread protests and international concern.

• The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) allows non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, who entered India before December 2014, to claim citizenship on a fast-track basis, sparking accusations of discrimination.
• Critics, including Amnesty International and the UN, have labeled the CAA as discriminatory against Muslims, violating constitutional and international human rights laws.
• Home Minister Amit Shah defends the CAA, stating it is designed to protect persecuted minorities and does not affect the citizenship rights of Indian Muslims.
• The implementation of the CAA, after years of delay, is seen by some as a political move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to polarize Hindu-majority society ahead of general elections.
• International reactions include concerns from the US State Department about the law's impact on religious freedom, while India maintains that the CAA is an internal matter aimed at addressing statelessness and supporting human rights.

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