The eGazette website of the government experienced a sudden crash moments after the Centre officially notified the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Monday. The eGazette website is the designated platform for releasing official government notifications, and in this case, it will host the rules associated with the CAA.
The timing of the government's notification precedes the expected announcement of Lok Sabha election dates by the Election Commission of India.
To facilitate the application process, a web portal has been established, and interested individuals can submit their applications online.
The CAA, passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, aims to establish an expedited pathway to Indian citizenship for migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The act focuses on individuals belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian communities, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution in their home countries.
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Earlier in the day, as news of the CAA's implementation spread across the country, Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi voiced strong opposition to the Act, labelling it as an assault on the Assamese community. In an interview with India Today NE, Gogoi drew parallels between the historical Mughal invasion of Assam and the perceived threat posed by the CAA, calling for a large-scale peaceful protest against what he deemed an attack on the essence of Assamese identity.
Gogoi expressed his belief that the CAA is an assault on the Assamese community, drawing parallels with the historical Mughal attack on Assam. "CAA is nothing but the Centre's attack on the Assamese community. The way Mughals attacked Assam, the same way BJP is trying to attack Assam in the name of CAA," he declared, urging the people of Assam to mobilize for a massive peaceful agitation against the Act.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the sensitive issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), emphasizing their significance for West Bengal and Northeast India. Expressing concern over potential unrest ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee stated the need to navigate these matters with caution to avoid exacerbating existing tensions.
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