The Congress on Monday attacked the Narendra Modi government over the timing of its decision to notify the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) rules, saying the notification move near the date of announcement of Lok Sabha election dates is "evidently designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam".
The law seeks to provide citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis who came to India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"It has taken four years and three months for the Modi Government to notify the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act that was passed by the Parliament in December 2019," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
"After seeking nine extensions for the notification of the rules, the timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam," he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said with CAA implementation, PM Modi has delivered on another commitment and realised promise of makers of our Constitution.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it is BJP's "publicity for elections" and if the rules "deprive" people of their rights, she will fight against them.
"If there is any discrimination, we won't accept it. Be it religion, caste, or linguistic. They won't be able to give citizenship to anyone in two days. This is just lollipop and show-off," said Ms Banerjee at a hurriedly called press conference at the state secretariat.
"After multiple extensions in four years, its implementation two to three days before the election announcement shows that it is being done for political reasons," Ms Banerjee added.
The CAA was passed in December 2019 and subsequently got the president's assent but there were protests in several parts of the country against it, with many opposition parties speaking out against the law calling it "discriminatory".
The law could not come into effect as rules had not been notified till now.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked the Centre for notifying the rules, terming it as BJPs' game of distraction.
"When the citizens of the country are forced to go out for livelihood, then what will happen by bringing 'citizenship law' for others? The public has now understood the BJP's game of politics of distraction," Mr Yadav posted on X.
"The BJP government should explain why lakhs of citizens gave up their citizenship of the country during their 10 years of rule. No matter what happens tomorrow you have to give account of 'Electoral Bond' and then also of the 'care fund'," Mr Yadav added.