© Unknown1 Up to 7M Indians form 620km human chain to protest anti-Muslim law • State of Kerala
The Indian government enacts a hugely controversial citizenship law, which is discriminatory against Muslims, weeks before the country's general elections as, what analysts call,
a means of wooing Hindu nationalist voters.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "government announces implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)," a government spokesman said on Monday.
The law allows Indian citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from three of India's neighboring countries, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, who fled to Hindu-majority India before December 31, 2014.
Billed as "Islamophobic" by critics, the CAA was passed in 2019. Its implementation was, however, delayed after the outbreak of protests, during which more than a 100 people were reportedly killed, most of them Muslims.
The law's implementation came as the country is expected to soon announce dates for the elections, which is likely to be held in April or May, with Modi widely favored to win a third term in office.
© unknownUp to 7M Indians form 620km human chain to protest anti-Muslim law • State of Kerala
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