Supreme Court Set for Landmark CAA Hearing

The Supreme Court will begin final hearings on May 5 over 200 pleas challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, including one by the IUML. It will examine the constitutionality of granting citizenship to migrants from specific communities entering India before December 31, 2014, with hearings concluding on May 12.

The Supreme Court is gearing up for final hearings on a slew of petitions challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, beginning on May 5. Among the cases is a significant plea by the Indian Union of Muslim League (IUML) questioning the law's constitutional validity.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act aims to provide Indian citizenship to migrants from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, and Parsi communities who arrived in the country from neighboring nations including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan prior to December 31, 2014.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant has outlined the schedule, stating that the proceedings will wrap up by May 12. The court has directed all parties to submit additional documents and submissions within the next four weeks as it prepares to address issues related to the pan-India application of the CAA first, before considering specific petitions from Assam and Tripura.

(With inputs from agencies.)