India strikes to implement citizenship regulation opposed by Muslims, weeks earlier than election

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India introduced guidelines on Monday to implement a 2019 citizenship regulation that critics name anti-Muslim, weeks earlier than Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a uncommon third time period for his Hindu nationalist authorities.

The Citizenship Modification Act grants Indian nationality to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who fled to Hindu-majority India from Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan earlier than Dec. 31, 2014.

Modi’s authorities had not crafted implementation guidelines for the regulation, after protests and sectarian violence broke out in New Delhi and elsewhere inside weeks of the regulation’s December 2019 enactment. Scores had been killed and lots of injured throughout days of clashes.

“The Modi authorities publicizes implementation of Citizenship Modification Act,” a authorities spokesperson stated in a textual content message.

“It was an integral a part of BJP’s 2019 manifesto.

This may pave (the) means for the persecuted to seek out citizenship in India,” he stated, referring to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Occasion’s (BJP) 2019 election manifesto.

Muslim teams say the regulation, mixed with a proposed nationwide register of residents, can discriminate towards India’s 200 million Muslims – the world’s third-largest Muslim inhabitants. They concern the federal government would possibly take away the citizenship of Muslims with out paperwork in some border states.

The federal government denies accusations that it’s anti-Muslim and has defended the regulation, saying it’s wanted to assist minorities dealing with persecution in Muslim-majority nations.

It says the regulation is supposed to grant citizenship, not take it away from anybody, and has known as the sooner protests politically motivated.

Modi swept to energy in 2014 and has consolidated his maintain since with a deal with development, welfare economics, boosting infrastructure and aggressive Hindu nationalism.

Opinion polls counsel he’ll comfortably win a majority in a normal election that should be held by Might.

(Further reporting by Krishn Kaushik; Writing by YP Rajesh and Sudipto Ganguly; Enhancing by William Mallard)