

Even as widespread protests on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) continue to rock the country, government sources said that migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who wish to acquire Indian citizenship under the new law will have to provide proof of their religious beliefs.

"In India, besides proof relating to religion, all those who want to seek Indian citizenship will also have to submit some sort of document that they have entered India before December 31, 2014," a government functionary told India Today TV.

Highly-placed sources said the applicants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Parsi faiths will have to furnish documents to prove that they entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

But in regards to Assam, the central government is also likely to make an exception with a smaller window of just three months to those who want to apply for Indian citizenship.

Sources said, "Assam-specific provisions are expected to be incorporated in the rules to be issued for the implementation of the CAA."

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had made a request to the home ministry to keep a limited period window for applying under the CAA.

They had also requested to incorporate some other Assam-specific provisions in the CAA rules.



Many in Assam view CAA to be against the Assam Accord which provides for detection and deportation of all illegal immigrants who have entered the country after 1971 and are living in the state, irrespective of their religion. The Assam specific provision is to calm tempers down in the North-Eastern state, which has seen vehement protests against CAA.

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