TMC MP Mahua Moitra Moves SC Against Citizenship Amendment Act 2019

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has approached the Supreme Court questioning the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019, which received President's assent on Thursday night.

The petition was mentioned before CJI SA Bobde for urgent hearing. But the Court asked the Moitra's counsel to raise the matter first before the Mentioning Registrar for listing.

The Act which was passed by the Parliament on Wednesday liberalizes the grant of citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who had entered India before December 31, 2014.

The MP from Krishnanagar has approached the Court contending that the exclusion of Muslims from the Act amounted to discrimination and therefore violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. The Act also violates the principles of secularism, which have been held to be part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

Another petition questioning the Act has been jointly filed by lawyer Ehtesham Hashmi, journalist Ziya Us Salam and law students Muneeb Ahmad Khan, Appurva Jain and Adeel Talib contending that the Act has been passed by the government with a "sheer motive of discriminating against the Muslim community".

The Indian Union Muslim League and four of its MPs had filed a petition yesterday against the Act, as it was awaiting the President's nod.

Faiz Ahmed, General Secretary of Jan Adhikar Party also filed a plea against the Act on Friday.

The Act has caused massive outrage in Assam. Army has been mobilized in the region in response to the protests by local people against the Act. Internet shut down has also been imposed there.