Speaking at a rally in West Bengal, Shah said that implementation of the law had to be kept in abeyance “after the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020”.

“As soon as the COVID vaccination process ends the process of granting citizenship under CAA will begin. All of you [Matua community] will be respected citizens of this country,” he said, addressing a rally in Thakurnagar, the bastion of the Matua community.

There were country wide protests against the CAA after it was passed by parliament in December 2019. The law provides a fast-track to citizenship for non-Muslim refugees who have faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. However, there are fears that , the CAA could be used to disenfranchise Indian Muslims, using it along with the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens.

Shah acknowledged these fears, saying, “As the home minister of this country, I want to assure the minorities of India that none of you will lose citizenship. The CAA is about granting citizenship to refugees, it is not about taking away anyone’s citizenship.”

Reacting to Shah’s assertion about implementing the CAA, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said he should “mind his language” and declared that she will never allow it to be enforced in the state.

“The home minister of the country should be careful about his utterances. We will never allow CAA, NRC or NPR [National Population Register] in Bengal. They can say whatever they want to. They want to destroy Bengal. We will never allow them to do that,” she said.

As of December 2020, the home ministry had said that rules governing the Act are still under preparation, a year after it was passed by parliament and received the President’s assent.

Responding to an RTI query from The Hindu, B.C. Joshi, director (citizenship), Foreigners Division, said “the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 are under preparation”.

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He was arrested for his alleged role in the riots that broke in north-east neighbourhoods of the Delhi in February 2020.

Umar Khalid was earlier charged under the UAPA in another case related to the riots.

My son Umar Khalid has been arrested tonight at 11:00 pm by Special Cell, Delhi Police under UAPA. Police was questioning him since 1:00 pm. He has been implicated in Delhi Riots. #StandWithUmarKhalid

— Ilyas SQR (@Dr_SQRIlyas) September 13, 2020

In April, his name was recorded in the FIR registered in connection with the northeast Delhi riots that broke out in February following a series of protests held in favour and against the contentious citizenship amendment act (CAA). His mobile phone was also seized by the police.

“After 11 hours of interrogation, the Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested Umar Khalid as a conspirator in the Delhi Riots case. The fairy tale narrative that DP (Delhi Police) has been spinning and criminalising protests in the garb of investigating riots, finds yet another victim,” United Against Hate, an activist group whose member is Umar Khalid, said in a statement.

He will be produced to the court on Monday.

In August also, he was summoned by the Special Cell and faced grilling for three hours.
Violence in parts of north-east Delhi from February 23 to 26- after weeks of protests against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens- had left over 50 dead and hundreds injured, many with gunshot wounds.

Around 108 police personnel received injuries and two died.

The Delhi police said that it was investigating the role of all individuals who allegedly took part in the riots and were a part of a larger conspiracy in inciting communal violence and hatred among communities.

Umar Khalid’s arrest comes amid a political row over CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and Swaraj Abhiyan chief Yogendra Yadav being named in a disclosure statement of an accused in the Delhi riots.

So far police have arrested 1,575 people in 751 cases.

Over 250 chargesheets have been filed in the riots related cases in which 1,153 accused have been charge-sheeted

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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Jamia Millia University student Safoora Zargar,after the police said they had no objection to her release on “humanitarian grounds”.

Zargar, 27, was pregnant when she was arrested on April 10 on conspiracy charges over the riots that broke out in February during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. She was granted bail but rearrested on more severe charges under the Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act. Her arrest and incarceration provoked strong condemnation from students and activists.Since Zargar was 23 weeks pregnant,concern had been expressed about her health and safety in Tihar Jail due to Covid-19 pandemic.

The Delhi High Court directed Safoora Zargar to not get involved in activities that may hamper the investigation.She also cannot leave Delhi without permission.Ms.Zargar has to stay in touch with an Investigating Officer on the phone at least once in 15 days and also furnish a personal bond of Rs.10,000.

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