Muslim groups say the law, combined with a proposed national register of citizens, can discriminate against India's 200 million Muslims.
Muslim groups say the law, combined with a proposed national register of citizens, can discriminate against India's 200 million Muslims.Modi swept to power in Indian in 2014 and has consolidated his hold since then. / Photo: Reuters
The Citizenship Amendment Act grants Indian nationality to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who fled to Hindu-majority India from Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before Dec. 31, 2014. "The Modi government announces the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act," a government spokesperson said in a text message.
Muslim groups say the law, combined with a proposed national register of citizens, can discriminate against India's 200 million Muslims - the world's third-largest Muslim population. They fear the government might remove the citizenship of Muslims without documents in some border states.