New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday scheduled May 5 as the start date for the final hearing on more than 200 petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA).

A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and including Justices Joymalaya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, issued procedural guidelines for the long-pending litigation. The court indicated it intends to conclude the arguments by May 12, marking a definitive timeline for a case that has remained in judicial limbo since 2019.

The Legal Dispute

The CAA provides a fast-track to Indian citizenship for migrants from the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities who fled to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan on or before Dec. 31, 2014. Critics and petitioners, led by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), contend the law is discriminatory because it specifically excludes Muslims and violates the secular principles of the Indian Constitution.

Procedural Roadmap

The bench outlined a strict schedule for the upcoming proceedings:

  • Petitioner Arguments: The IUML and other challenging parties will be granted one-and-a-half days to present their case.
  • Government Response: The central government will have one full day to defend the statute.
  • Phased Hearing: The court will first address petitions concerning the nationwide application of the law before turning to region-specific challenges from Assam and Tripura.

"The bench will first hear the pleas related to pan-India application of the CAA and then take note of the petitions pertaining to Assam and Tripura later," the Chief Justice remarked during the hearing.

Next Steps

The court directed all parties to submit any additional documentation or written submissions within the next four weeks to ensure the matter is ripe for the May 5 start. The hearing marks the first major movement in the case since the central government notified the rules to implement the Act in March 2024.

With inputs from PTI