Indian Supreme Court announces verdict on 144 petitions against controversial citizenship law against Muslims

Indian Supreme Court announces verdict on 144 petitions against controversial citizenship law against Muslims

NEW DELHI - Indian Supreme Court announces verdict on 144 petitions against controversial citizenship law against Muslims.

In India, the Supreme Court has declined calls to suspend the implementation of new citizenship law.

The court gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government four weeks to respond to 144 petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the law which has ignited protests across the country.

Opposition leaders, Muslim organizations and student groups had petitioned the court to hold off implementation of the law until the challenges to the legislation are settled.

The law, which came into effect on 10th January after being passed by parliament in December, lays out a path for citizenship for six religious minorities in neighboring mostly-Muslim countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.