SC refuses to stop citizenship law, sends notice to Centre on 60 petitions

At the first
hearing on petitions challenging the citizenship law, the Supreme Court on Wednesday
declined to stay the contentious law but told the government to respond to
petitions that have attacked the amended Citizenship Act on grounds that it
violates the Constitution.

The court
will hear the case next on January 22.

At the
hearing, the petitioners represented by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal argued that
the law should not be implemented as the rules have not been notified.

Nearly 60
petitions have been charged up at the Supreme Court over the last week after
Parliament passed made changes to the law to provide for a special arrangement
to grant citizenship to religious minorities from three Islamic countries:
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The
controversial law have triggered street protests, first in the northeast that
later spread to other parts of the country.

In national
capital Delhi, one such protest around Jamia Millia Islamia university turned
violent on Sunday and led to police action.

The
petitions have broadly challenged the law on the ground that the law
discriminates against people on grounds of religion and privileges religious
persecution of only specific religions.