The Indian National Congress (INC,) on the 13th of December, moved the Supreme Court (SC) against the recently implemented Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
The INC filed a petition against the Act, claiming it is against the Constitution of India which promotes secularism.
Jairam Ramesh, a senior leader of the INC, filed the petition and extended support to the students’ organisations which are protesting in Assam and northeastern states against the Citizenship Act. According to Mr. Ramesh’s plea, the Act goes against the right to equality as it excludes Muslims. The Citizenship Act, 2019 promises citizenship to refugees who are Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and are living in India since or before the 31st of December 2014.
Besides the INC, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also moved the SC and filed a petition against the Act. Mahua Moitra, a Member of Parliament (MP) of the TMC, filed the petition and sought an urgent hearing for the same. However, the SC refused to conduct an urgent hearing.
Apart from political parties, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also moved the Apex Court, challenging the newly introduced citizenship law.
Meanwhile, in Telangana, the Jamaat e Islami e Hind (JIH) appealed to the Muslim community to hold a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on the 13th of December. Hamed Mohammed Khan, the JIH President in Telangana and Odisha, asked the community members to tie black bands on their arms while offering prayers at mosques as a symbol of protest. Claiming the day is a ‘black Friday,’ Hamed Mohammed Khan asked all the community members to conduct a silent protest by standing outside mosques with black bands on their arms after Friday prayers.
Besides, the JIH also decided to protest and stage a dharna at mandal and district levels in Telangana on the 14th of December. On the 15th of December, the JIH is set to organise a ‘maha dharna.’
The organisation also asked the people of the State to take part in the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Stay tuned for further updates.
