Editor's Pick | SC to hear pleas seeking stay on CAA on April 9

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider a plea to stay the operation of the rules notified under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA on April 9, days before the first phase of the Lok Sabha election. The government has refused to make a statement that it would not grant fast-tracked citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan during the pendency of the case. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud sought to calm the apprehensions of 237 petitioners that the government would go ahead and implement the CAA rules in the meantime. “They do not even have the infrastructure in place,” Chief Justice Chandrachud told the petitioners’ side, led by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaising. Mr. Sibal, on behalf of the Indian Union Muslim League, said if the Centre could wait nearly five years to notify the CAA rules, they could wait till July 2024, arguing that fast-tracking citizenship based on the religious identity of a person violated the fundamental rights to non-discrimination and equality under the Constitution. Solicitor-General Mr. Tushar Mehta sought four weeks’ time to file responses to about 20 applications moved separately by petitioners to stay the CAA rules, notified on March 11. “This law does not take away the citizenship of anyone. Those who have entered by 2014 will be considered for grant or refusal of citizenship,” Mr. Mehta reasoned. Advocate Nizam Pasha, also for the petitioners, linked the implementation of the CAA to the 19 lakh people excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) list in Assam, saying that the CAA would now apply to these people. Those who do not belong to “one particular community or religion” would get their citizenship applications processed “all of a sudden” while the Muslims who were out of NRC may face executive action, claimed Mr. Pasha. “The NRC is not an issue before the court, only the grant of citizenship under CAA is the issue,” clarified Mr. Mehta. CAA was passed by Parliament in 2019 and its rules were notified just days ago. The Hindu’s Editorials Selection and election: On the appointment of Election Commissioners Length and breadth: On Rahul Gandhi and his yatras The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Tamil Nadu on Monday moved the SC against Governor Ravi for stalling which former Minister’s re-induction? S.M. Nasar V. Senthil Balaji Udhayanidhi Stalin K. Ponmudy To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 20 March 2024 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]Open in browser [Mail icon]More newsletters SC to hear pleas seeking stay on CAA on April 9 The[ Supreme Court]( on Tuesday agreed to consider a plea to stay the operation of the rules notified under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA on April 9, days before the first phase of the Lok Sabha election. The government has refused to make a statement that it would not grant fast-tracked citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan during the pendency of the case. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud sought to calm the apprehensions of 237 petitioners that the government would go ahead and implement the[ CAA rules]( in the meantime. “They do not even have the infrastructure in place,” Chief Justice Chandrachud told the petitioners’ side, led by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaising. Mr. Sibal, on behalf of the Indian Union Muslim League, said if the Centre could wait nearly five years to notify the CAA rules, they could wait till July 2024, arguing that fast-tracking citizenship based on the religious identity of a person violated the fundamental rights to non-discrimination and equality under the Constitution. Solicitor-General Mr. Tushar Mehta sought four weeks’ time to file responses to about 20 applications moved separately by petitioners to stay the CAA rules, notified on March 11. “This law does not take away the citizenship of anyone. Those who have entered by 2014 will be considered for grant or refusal of [citizenship]( Mr. Mehta reasoned. Advocate Nizam Pasha, also for the petitioners, linked the implementation of the CAA to the 19 lakh people excluded from the [National Register of Citizens]( (NRC) list in Assam, saying that the CAA would now apply to these people. Those who do not belong to “one particular community or religion” would get their citizenship applications processed “all of a sudden” while the Muslims who were out of NRC may face executive action, claimed Mr. Pasha. “The NRC is not an issue before the court, only the grant of citizenship under CAA is the issue,” clarified Mr. Mehta. CAA was passed by Parliament in 2019 and its rules were notified just days ago. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Selection and election: On the appointment of Election Commissioners]( [Arrow][Length and breadth: On Rahul Gandhi and his yatras]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Tamil Nadu on Monday moved the SC against Governor Ravi for stalling which former Minister’s re-induction? - S.M. Nasar - V. 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