Asaduddin Owaisi Moves Supreme Court, Seeks Stay on Citizenship Amendment Rules Implementation”

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has approached the Supreme Court, urging a stay on the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Rules until the apex court adjudicates the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

The Centre recently paved the way for the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, by notifying the relevant rules, four years after its passage by Parliament. The Act aims to expedite Indian citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

Owaisi, along with other petitioners challenging certain provisions of the Act, has filed an application seeking a halt on its implementation and the 2024 rules until the final disposal of the petitions. He also requests that applications for citizenship status under the amended Act not be entertained during this period.

According to the application, the Act is allegedly linked to the National Register of Citizen (NRC) exercise, posing concerns regarding its impact, particularly after its completion in Assam and proposed initiation in other parts of the country.

The plea emphasizes the Supreme Court’s authority to stay statutory provisions and associated rules pending adjudication of their constitutional validity. It argues that granting a stay would not prejudice the government, as the Act has not been operationalized for over four years.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the pleas on March 19, seeking a direction to the Centre to suspend the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024, until the resolution of the constitutional validity challenges.

Various parties, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India, have also approached the apex court, seeking similar relief against the implementation of the rules.

The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, had triggered protests across the country in 2019 and 2020 due to concerns over its perceived discriminatory nature. While the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Centre on the petitions challenging the law in December 2019, it had declined to stay its operation.