The Supreme Court on Wednesday will take up petitions challenging the newly-enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
A three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Justice SA Bobde, also comprising Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant will hear around 60 petitions.
Among those who filed the petitions are senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, the Indian Union Muslim League and Asom Gana Parishad, an ally of the ruling BJP in Assam.
The petitioners have contended that religion cannot be the basis for grant of citizenship. They have also argued that CAA is against the basic structure of the Constitution as admitting illegal migrants as citizens on the basis of religion violates the fundamental rights to life and equality.
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The Citizenship Amendment Act is meant to expedite citizenship for non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who moved to India till December 31, 2014, after facing religious persecution in their home countries.
Since the law has come into effect last Wednesday, there have been widespread protests across the country, especially in the northeast, Bengal and Delhi. On Sunday, a protest march by the students of Jamia Millia University had gone out of hand and ended in violence.