Supreme Court to Examine Contentious India Citizenship Law
- Top court may decide in January if law should be stalled
- Modi refuses to back down; government won’t repeal act
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India’s controversial religion-based citizenship act will have to pass the scrutiny of the nation’s top court, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government pledged to push ahead and implement the law.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde issued a notice to the government seeking its response. The court agreed to examine the legality of the legislation following more than 50 petitions filed by activists, lawyers, student groups, Muslim bodies, and politicians from across the country. The court will next hear the case on Jan. 22 and may decide in January if the law should be stayed, Bobde said.