Nagpur: Bombay High Court refused to hear a PIL challenging the validity of CAA today citing the Apex Court is already hearing petitions pertaining to the issue.
A division bench comprising of Justices R K Deshpande and A M Borkar directed the petitioner, social worker Urmila Kowe, to approach the apex court, TOI reported.
The Nagpur bench noted since Apex Court is already hearing petitions it would be improper to interfere in the matter.
Social worker Kowe, in her public interest litigation (PIL) stated the CAA was “arbitrary, unreasonable and violative to the Constitution of India”.
“The Citizenship Amendment Act is violative of the secular nature of the Constitution of India and is discriminatory,” the petition said, adding it only covers a section of class, while overlooking other sections reportedly persecuted religious groups, it said.
“The Act is arbitrary, unreasonable, irrational and violative of the fundamental rights of every citizen. The Preamble to the Constitution of India lays down that the State has no religion and there cannot be any discrimination among citizens,” the PIL further said.
The new law seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jain refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.