New Delhi, December 18: Protests have erupted across India against the amendment to the Citizenship Act 1955. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, passed by Parliament to amend the Citizenship Act 1955, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan but not if they happen to be Muslims. The newly passed Act has triggered a nation-wide debate over whether the it violates Article 14 and 15 of the Indian Constitution. Citizenship Amendment Bill Debate: Manipur to be Exempted Via Inner Line Permit, Says Amit Shah; Here's How ILP Will Offset CAB Impact.

The Citizenship Act 1955 describes 5 conditions for obtaining citizenship of India, such as citizenship by birth, citizenship by descent, citizenship by registration, citizenship by naturalization and citizenship by incorporation of territory. Another key aspect of the Act is that it made mandatory for a person to stay in India for at least 11 years to acquire citizenship naturally. However, the Citizenship Amendment Act 2016 says illegal migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan must stay at least 6 years in India before applying for Indian citizenship through naturalisation. Citizenship Amendment Act 2019: What Fundamental Rights Article 14, 15 Guarantee And Arguments in Favour of & Against CAB.

Full Text of Citizenship Act 1955:

The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians fleeing religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan can apply for Indian citizenship if they are staying in India for at least five years. The Act says those illegal migrants who have entered India up to the cut-off date of December 31, 2014 will be eligible for Indian citizenship. This Act is criticised for leaving immigrants of Islamic faith.

Full Text of Citizenship Amendment Act 2019:

Many see the CAA through the prism of the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) drive. While non-Muslims left out of the NRC would be able to get citizenship under the CAA, Muslims who could not make the list may be deported.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2019 12:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).