The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), a US-based advocacy group, has appreciated India for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said the decision is a 'big win' for the persecuted religious minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

"A big win for #HumanRights for the persecuted religious #minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. India finally notifies the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which was passed by the Indian Parliament in 2019!" the group posted on X.

"A reminder - #CAA has NO impact on existing Indian citizens of any faith. It simply fast-tracks the Indian citizenship process for approximately 31,000 religious minorities who fled Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in the face of extreme and systemic persecution. For instance, each year in Pakistan alone 1000+ minor girls from minority communities are kidnapped, forcibly converted and "married" to their abductors, with support from police and judicial authorities. As a result, petrified families with young kids have been fleeing to India for basic safety," the group added.

Ahead of India's general polls, the Indian government recently implemented the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The act was implemented nearly five years after it was passed by the Indian Parliament.

The CAA triggered widespread debate and intense protests across the nation since it was passed by the Parliament on December 11, 2019.

What is CAA?

The CAA, which was Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) before it was passed by the Indian Parliament, aims to grant citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi but not Muslim refugees who came to India before Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before 2015.

After its passage, protests were held in various parts of the country including Kolkata, Delhi and Assam.

The protests, however, fizzled out amid COVID-19-imposed restrictions and lockdowns.