Opposition parties on Monday lashed out at the Modi government for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The parties questioned the timing of the move which has come ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due in April-May.
Also Read: Central government implements Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)
“It has taken four years and three months for the Modi Government to notify the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act that was passed by the Parliament in December 2019. The Prime Minister claims that his Government works in a business-like and time-bound manner. The time taken to notify the rules for the CAA is yet another demonstration of the Prime Minister’s blatant lies,” Jairam Ramesh, the communication head of the Congress, posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Ramesh also accused the Centre of trying to ‘manage’ headlines after the Supreme Court, earlier in the day, turned down the State Bank of India's (SBI) plea seeking extension to June 30 of the apex court's March 6 deadline to SBI to submit electoral bond data.
{{/usCountry}}Ramesh also accused the Centre of trying to ‘manage’ headlines after the Supreme Court, earlier in the day, turned down the State Bank of India's (SBI) plea seeking extension to June 30 of the apex court's March 6 deadline to SBI to submit electoral bond data.
{{/usCountry}}“After seeking nine extensions for the notification of the rules, the timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam. It also appears to be an attempt to manage the headlines after the Supreme Court’s severe strictures on the Electoral Bonds Scandal,” he added.
Also Read: Explained | What is the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)?
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, appealed to people to ‘be calm and avoid rumours.’
“You should have notified rules six months ago. If there are any good things, we always support and appreciate but if anything is done that is not good for the country, TMC will always raise its voice and oppose it. I know why today's date was chosen before Ramazan,” she said.