India implements controversial citizenship law excluding Muslims

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was passed in India in 2019, provides a fast-track to Indian citizenship for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians who fled from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to Hindu-majority India before December 31, 2014. The implementation rules for the CAA were announced by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday, ahead of the country's general election. The law aims to help religious minorities persecuted in their home countries gain Indian citizenship. However, it excludes Muslims, who are a majority in all three nations and have expressed concerns that the government could use the CAA, combined with a proposed national register of citizens, to marginalize them. Critics argue that the law discriminates against Muslims and violates India's secular principles. The CAA was held off from implementation due to protests that broke out in New Delhi and other parts of India after its passage.