A panel consisting of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, is set to preside over the case. The bench will address 237 writ petitions filed in 2019 that challenge the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). These petitions were last presented before the Court on October 31, 2022.
On March 11, the Union Government introduced the Citizenship Amendment Rules 2024 to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), alongside establishing committees at the State and Union Territory levels to handle applications related to the Act. However, this move was met with opposition, leading to the filing of applications seeking to halt the Act and its associated Rules.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the Democratic Youth Front of India (DYFI), the All Assam Students Union, and Assam opposition leaders Debrabata Saika and Abdul Khaleque are among the applicants challenging the CAA and the Rules. Additionally, the State of Kerala, Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM head), and the Socialist Democratic Party of India have also filed applications against the Act and its implementation.
The CAA has been a contentious issue since its inception, with critics arguing that it discriminates against Muslims and undermines the secular fabric of the Indian Constitution. The Supreme Court, which is hearing multiple petitions challenging the CAA, has yet to make a decision on the matter. The outcome of these applications and the subsequent hearings will likely have significant implications for the future of the CAA and its implementation in India.
