Amit Shah Affirms CAA Implementation Ahead of 2024 Elections

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, declared on Saturday that the Citizenship Amendment Act, commonly referred to as CAA, will be executed before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2024, Shah emphasized that the CAA is designed to provide citizenship to individuals who have faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, not to revoke anyone’s existing Indian citizenship.

He criticized the opposition, particularly the Congress party, for misleading the public and shirking their commitment to implement the CAA during their tenure.

The CAA, enacted in 2019 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from neighboring countries.

The implementation of the CAA stirred nationwide protests due to its exclusion of Muslims and certain communities, leading to a wave of demonstrations that called the Act discriminatory and an assault on India’s secular values.

Initially met with resistance in 2019, the CAA has since become a focal point for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as they gear up for the 2024 general elections.

Shah also predicted a favorable electoral outcome for the BJP, anticipating a landslide victory with 370 seats for the party and over 400 seats for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Responding to queries about potential new allies in the NDA, Shah hinted at the possibility of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Shiromani Akali Dal, and other regional parties aligning with the ruling coalition.