Indian Supreme Court refuses to stay citizenship law

The Supreme Court declined to stay the contentious law at the first hearing on petitions challenging the citizenship law on Wednesday, but told the government to respond to petitions attacking the amended Citizenship Act on the grounds that it violates the Constitution, Hindustan Times reports.

On January 22, the court will hear the case next.

At the hearing, as the rules were not notified, the petitioners represented by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal argued that the law should not be implemented. But the stay was objected by the Attorney General KK Venugopal.

Over the past week, almost 60 petitions were filed at the Supreme Court after Parliament passed amendments to the constitution to provide for a special dispensation to grant citizenship to religious minorities from three Islamic countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The law allows undocumented migrants from six communities-Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, and Jains-to stay in India and become citizens if they claim to be persecuted for religion. A special provision applies to individuals who entered the country prior to December 31, 2014.