The Opposition parties questioned the timing of notification of rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, and called it a divisive step aimed at diverting attention from the controversy over electoral bonds.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh pointed out that it had taken the government four years and three months to bring the rules of an Act that was passed by Parliament in December 2019. “The Prime Minister claims that his government works in a business-like and time-bound manner. The time taken to notify the rules for the CAA is yet another demonstration of the Prime Minister’s blatant lies,” he said.
The Congress general secretary also alleged that the announcement is yet another attempt to “manage the headlines” after the Supreme Court’s strictures on the electoral bonds issue. “After seeking nine extensions for notification of the rules, the timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam,” the Congress leader said.
