Ministry of Home Affairs to potentially notify CAA rules before model code of conduct

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is likely to announce the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules prior to the implementation of the model code of conduct, reported ANI, citing sources.

The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians - who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

Following the passage of the CAA by Parliament in December 2019 and its subsequent Presidential assent, significant protests erupted in various parts of the country.


Sources privy to the development told ANI that "the regulations for the CAA could be announced anytime before the enforcement of the model code of conduct". There is a possibility that the code of conduct might be in place in March.

As per an official, the CAA law can be put into action with the issuance of MHA notifications, allowing eligible individuals to obtain Indian citizenship.

The implementation of the CAA, which has been delayed for over four years, necessitates the formulation of its associated rules.

"The regulations are prepared, and an online portal is already set up for the entire process, which will be conducted digitally. Applicants will need to disclose the year of their entry into India without any travel documents. No additional documentation will be required from the applicants," stated the official.

On December 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asserted that the implementation of the CAA cannot be halted as it stands as the law of the land. He had also accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the public regarding this matter.

Speaking at a party meeting in Kolkata, Shah emphasized that the BJP is committed to implementing the CAA.

The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been opposing the CAA.

(With ANI inputs)