‘Very happy’: Seema Haider, family celebrate as CAA rules notified | Watch

PM Modi has done what he promised, she said.

Published on: Mar 11, 2024, 22:58:48 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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Seema Haider, the Pakistani national who illegally entered India in May last year to marry Sachin Meena, an Indian she met online, was on Monday seen celebrating with her family in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, after the Union government notified Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules.

Also Read | Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules: Eligibility, procedure, language requirement explained

Haider and her family held up the Indian tricolour, and posters of prime minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

“We are very happy…we congratulate the Indian government. PM Modi has done what he promised,” news agency PTI quoted her as saying.

Citizenship Amendment Act, which was passed by Parliament in December 2019, makes it easier for non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, to get Indian citizenship.

Also Read | CAA notified: MHA forms panel, lays down SOP for granting citizenship

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are all Muslim-majority countries.

Who is Seema Haider?

Seema Haider made headlines in July 2023, after authorities found her living with Sachin in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh; she claimed that she fell in love with him on mobile game PUBG, and decided to come to India to be with him.

In doing so, she left her then husband, who was living and working in Saudi Arabia.

Also Read | CAA rules notified: Protest erupts in Jamia, acting vice-chancellor says won't allow agitation

Haider told BBC in an interview that she had become a Hindu, and refused to return to her native country. She further claimed that her children with her first husband, too, had converted to Hinduism.

Seema is also reported to have written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking Indian citizenship, amid calls for her to be deported.

Also Read | CAA rules notified: A timeline of events

She will, however, not be a CAA beneficiary as she is a Muslim and came to India after the cut-off date.

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HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

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