Noida, Mar 11 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday stepped up security in Noida, adjoining Delhi, after the Centre announced implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, officials said.

Personnel from the police and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed at locations such as markets, shopping malls, temples and mosques in Noida and Greater Noida of Gautam Buddh Nagar district while senior officers started on-ground inspections, they said.

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The Centre on Monday announced implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, paving the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The rules were notified days ahead of the expected announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. With this, the Narendra Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants -- Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians -- from the three countries.

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Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shivhari Meena said, "Patrolling has been started by the Gautam Buddh Nagar police in view of upcoming festivals, Lok Sabha elections and the current sensitive situation. Paramilitary, local police and PAC teams are on the ground while all intelligence units are alert."

"We are keeping a constant watch on crowded locations, places that have mixed populations, religious sites. We are also monitoring social media. The police are on the ground to ensure law and order are under control," Meena said.

The senior officer said the police are continuing their duty while practising the approach of "Mitr Police (friendly police)".

The CAA was passed in December 2019 and subsequently got the president's assent but there were protests in several parts of the country against it. Many opposition parties spoke out against the law, calling it "discriminatory".

The law could not come into effect as the rules had not been notified till now.

A Union Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson said on Monday, "These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, will enable persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for grant of Indian citizenship."

"The applications will be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided," the spokesperson added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)