The Congress in Delhi has announced that if voted to power in Delhi, the party will not implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NRC) in the region. 

Ajay Maken, Delhi Congress manifesto committee chairman, tweeted, "Congress big announcement about CAA, NPR and NRC - will not apply in Delhi if they come to power."

Ajay Maken
Ajay MakenIANS

The party has also demanded one-day special Delhi Assembly session to clear the ruling Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) stand over the CAA. 

What does the CAA say?

The CAA seeks to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

CAA protests
Local residents offer prayers on a road during a protest against a new citizenship law, in New Delhi.Reuters

The Citizenship Amendment Act seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship of India.

Highlights of the Citizenship Amendment Act

  • Granting nationality to non-Muslim immigrants from neighbouring countries.
  • The Citizenship Act, 1955, one of the requirements for citizenship was that the applicant must have resided in India in the last 12 months, as well as for 11 of the previous 14 years.
  • Now the amendment relaxes the second requirement — from 11 years to six years.
  • Provides that the registration of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders may be cancelled if they violate any law.