Shortly after the Centre notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Monday said that it will issue a statement after its legal committee studies the full notification.

Speaking to reporters, AIMPLB’s Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali also appealed to the people of Muslim community to maintain peace.

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“We have come to know that this notification has been issued and my appeal to all the community members is that we all should maintain peace and our legal committee will study the full notification and then any statement can be given…,” Mahali told a news agency.

His remarks came after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified the Rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA-2019).

“These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 will enable the eligible persons under CAA-2019 to apply for grant of Indian citizenship. The applications will be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided,” the MHA said.

The CAA was passed by the Parliament in December 2019, and led to widespread protests by members from the Muslim community.

The controversial law seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who migrated to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh due to religious persecution.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has criticised the move, saying it has been done just before elections to make it a Hindu-Muslim issue.

“Why was there such a delay? If it had to be delayed then why couldn’t it be done after the elections? Their (BJP) only aim is to make every issue about Hindus and Muslims…,” Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, one of the fiercest critics of the law, said that her party will oppose it.

“…I know why today’s date was chosen before Ramadan. I appeal to the people to be calm and avoid any rumors,” she said.