Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Nov 30: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, according to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, is against the Tamil race and ignores the reality of Tamil refugees who have settled in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK emphasised that the CAA establishes an entirely new basis for the grant of citizenship on the basis of religion, which damages the fundamental fabric of secularism, in an affidavit filed before the top court through attorney D Kumanan.
“There is no reason as to why Muslims were altogether excluded even in the countries wherein they have suffered persecution.”
Further, it claims that the Central government has treated Tamil refugees in a ‘step-motherly’ manner, making them always fearful of being expelled.
Additionally, not having a state has prevented people from finding work in the public and organised private sectors, owning property, exercising their right to vote, or receiving government benefits.
“Due to such ambiguity, there are forced to stay in camps where they are often exploited having no prospects of security in future.. The requests for citizenship by these Tamil refugees who have spent years in refugee camps have fallen on deaf ears of the Respondent No. 1,” reads the affidavit.
It claims that the Act is clearly arbitrary and severely discriminatory because it excludes Muslims who have experienced persecution. Because the CAA contradicts Articles 14 and 21, the DMK requested a declaration that it is unconstitutional.
Notably, the CAA, approved on December 12, 2019, modifies the definition of ‘illegal migrants’ in Section 2 of the Citizenship Act of 1955.
