India implements 'anti-Muslim' 2019 citizenship law weeks before election
Indian government implements Citizenship Amendment Act granting citizenship to non-Muslim refugees causing concerns over discrimination and threats to secular identity.
- Bilawal Riaz
- 1 min read
The Indian government has announced the implementation rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act, a law passed in 2019 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. This law grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from neighboring countries. Critics have labeled the law as “anti-Muslim,” as it excludes Muslims and raises concerns about India’s secular identity. Modi’s government had faced protests over the law’s passing, with violence erupting in Delhi where many Muslims were killed. Muslim groups fear discrimination, especially when combined with a proposed National Register of Citizens. The government defends the law as a means to protect persecuted minorities. Under Modi’s tenure, there have been reports of increased mistreatment of Muslims, including attacks, lynching, and hate speech incidents, leading to allegations of rising Islamophobia.