CAA not discriminatory, nor is it anti-Muslim: Centre in fresh affidavit to SC

Responding to petitions seeking quashing of Citizenship Amendment Act, the Centre on October 30 submitted that the act was not discriminatory, and therefore, was only protecting the persecuted minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The Union government in a fresh affidavit to CJI UU Lalit-led bench stated that CAA aims to repair the historical injustices meted out to the non-Muslims in the said neighbouring countries.

It urged that India was a “sole rational haven for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christains who have been ill-treated in the three neighbouring countries."

Dismissing assertions that CAA is against any particular community, the government argued that the act does not approve citizenship to Tibetan Buddhists from China or Tamil Hindu from Sri Lanka.

It contested that the allegations that law seeks to classify only the Muslim community as illegal migrants had no basis in law or in fact.

Over 200 petitions have been filed before the top court to act against CAA arguing that the law promotes religion-based discrimination, thereby, violating equality before law under Article 14.

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