India’s Citizenship Law challenged over 60 times, yet remains in place

The controversial Citizenship Act (Amendment) that grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim illegal immigrants has been challenged in the Supreme Court several times since it became the law last month.

The law has widely been criticised for being formulated on the basis of religion particularly for excluding Muslims.

The Supreme Court of India already heard around 60 petitions challenging the law and declined to impose stay on implementation of the law.

The Indian Union Muslim League, a Kerala-based political party was the first state to legally challenge the new citizenship law, which triggered nationwide demonstrations.

A day after Kerala invoked Article 131 of the Constitution to challenge the CAA in the Supreme Court, the Indian National Congress, a political party with widespread roots, strongly opposed the Bill as it is against the country's constitution and its secular ethos.

Asserting that the Citizenship Act (Amendment) is against the basic structure of the Constitution, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind also challenged the legislation in the Supreme Court.

A day after the Central government of India notified the CAA, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also refused it, stating "It would only remain a piece of paper."

Civil rights activists Harsh Mander, Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Irfaan Habib and Prabhat Patnaik have filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.

Various Public interest litigation in India filed have added to a rising chorus challenging the constitutionality of the controversial legislation, in view of its exclusion of Muslim persons from its list of beneficiaries.

NGO Minority Front president Dr Feroz Khan on Wednesday said that the NGO has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Two more petitions have been filed challenging the Act. Both petitions were filed by Lok Sabha MPs Asaduddin Owaisi and TN Prathapan, have registered protest over the non-inclusion of Muslims in the purview of the Act, challenging the same to be unconstitutional.

Defying strikes and internet shutdowns, citizens took to the streets to reject the Citizenship Act.

Several protests marched with thousands of protesters were held against the law which have resulted thousands of arrests and 27 deaths.

On 19 December last year, police issued a complete ban on protests in several parts of India.

January 22 has been set as the next date of hearing on the constitutional validity of the act.