India’s interior ministry said Monday it was enacting a citizenship law that critics say discriminates against Muslims, just weeks before the world’s most populous country heads into a general election. The law grants Indian nationality to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who entered India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before December 2014 — but not if they are Muslim. “These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024, will enable the persons eligible… to apply for grant of Indian citizenship”, the ministry said in a statement. Shah said Modi had “delivered on another commitment and realised the promise of the makers of our constitution to the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians living in those countries”. The immigration rules do not include migrants from non-Muslim countries fleeing persecution to India, including Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka and Tibetan Buddhists fleeing China’s rule.

Source: The Guardian March 11, 2024 15:17 UTC