Madurai (Tamil Nadu): The Madurai bench of Madras High Court has upheld the claim by the 29-year-old daughter of Hindu Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka for Indian citizenship based on the provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The judges opined that Abirami, the daughter of Lankan refugees, may be granted citizenship since the CAA provides for an opportunity to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The bench also directed the district and State authorities concerned to forward the application of Abirami to the Centre which should take a final decision within 16 weeks. Justice GR Swaminathan, who heard the petition filed by Abirami, hailing from Tiruchirapalli, observed that the petitioner's parents are Sri Lankan citizens who came to India due to the war in Sri Lanka.
The court said that the petitioner was born in 1993 after her parents came to India and Aadhaar card has been issued to the petitioner. Because of this she has petitioned for citizenship. The bench further said that the petitioner was born in India and she is not a citizen of Sri Lanka. The central government has implemented an amendment to the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the judge said.
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The Act does not include Sri Lanka, but has an equally viable element of granting citizenship to Sri Lankans, the bench said. Therefore, the petition filed by the petitioner for grant of citizenship should be forwarded to the Secretaries of Tamil Nadu Foreigners Department and Central Home Department, the judge instructed the Tiruchirapalli District Collector.
