Indian citizenship: Religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan in 5 states invited to apply

India yesterday invited Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, currently residing in five Indian states to apply for Indian citizenship.

Those invited to apply are residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab.

The Indian Home Ministry issued a notification to this effect for immediate implementation of the order under the Citizenship Act 1955 and rules framed under the law in 2009, even though the rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) enacted in 2019 are yet to be framed by the government.

The enactment of CAA in 2019 had triggered violent protests across India and riots in Delhi in early 2020.

Under CAA, Indian citizenship will be given to persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan -- Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian -- who had come to India till December 31, 2014.

"In exercise of powers conferred under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the central government hereby directs that powers exercisable by it for registration as citizen of India under Section 5, or for grant of certificate of naturalisation under section 6 of the Citizenship Act 1955 in respect of any person belonging to minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, residing in the districts mentioned and the states mentioned below....," the notification said.