DMK Files Affidavit in SC, Says CAA Discriminatory Against Tamil, Muslim Refugees

New Delhi: Terming Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) discriminatory, MK Stalin led-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Wednesday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court against act. The DMK in its affidavit said the CAA is discriminatory because it excludes Tamil and Muslims refugees based on their religion. 

The Southern ruling party is among the 200 petitioners who have challenged the Act. CAA is unconstitutional and ‘arbitrary’ as it provides a fast-tracked route citizenship only for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan only and it expressly excludes Muslims. 

“The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 is an unconstitutional, null, void, and ultra vires of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. The Act is arbitrary as it relates to only three countries –  Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and confines to only six religions which are Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities, and expressly excludes Muslim religion,” DMK’s affidavit stated. The party’s organising secretary RS Bharati has requested the apex court to quash the amendment. 

“I respectfully submit that the Act introduces a completely new basis for the grant/non-grant of citizenship on the ground of religion, which destroys the basis fabric of secularism. There is no reason as to why Muslims were altogether excluded even in six countries wherein they suffered persecution,” the affidavit added.

In its affidavit, the DMK has pointed out that the Act ignores the reality of  Tamil refugees who are settled in the state after facing religious persecution in Sri Lanka. The party further said the CAA basis for including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh was that their constitutions provided for a specific state religion due to which the religious minorities there faced prosecution on grounds of religion and therefore, Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka should also be considered for Indian citizenship. 

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(With agency inputs)