West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said hearings on citizenship applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) would be completed soon, with around 23,000 certificates already issued out of 2.30 lakh applications received in the state. Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna, Adhikari said the government had issued necessary directions to district authorities to speed up the process. Around 2.07 lakh applications are still pending. The Chief Minister said hearings would be conducted expeditiously through district magistrates and citizenship certificates handed over following completion of the prescribed process. He had earlier said that all pending CAA applications in West Bengal would be disposed of within six months.
Focus on pending applications
Adhikari said people eligible under the CAA who have not yet submitted applications would continue to have the opportunity to apply for citizenship. He also said the process would be expedited for Hindu refugees who came to India from Bangladesh after facing religious persecution. The CAA provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for members of six non-Muslim minority communities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians — who entered India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014, after facing religious persecution or the fear of such persecution.
The legislation was passed by Parliament in December 2019, while the Centre notified the rules required for its implementation in March 2024. Citizenship applications under the law are processed through a designated online mechanism, with applicants required to furnish prescribed documents and complete scrutiny before citizenship is granted.
Adhikari's announcement indicates that the Bengal government is now seeking to substantially accelerate the processing of the remaining applications, which account for the overwhelming majority of the cases received.
New anti-goonda law takes effect
The Chief Minister also used the press conference to announce that a provision of the state's new law aimed at tackling anti-social activities had come into force from Monday.
The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, popularly referred to as the anti-goonda legislation, was passed by the state Assembly in July.
Adhikari said Governor RN Ravi had given his assent to the legislation and a notification had been issued to bring part of it into operation.
The law provides for stringent action against people involved in attacks on police personnel and damage to public property. The government will also be able to recover the cost of damaged public property from those found responsible.
Adhikari warned that people damaging government assets would face action under the new provisions, signalling a tougher approach by the administration towards violence and vandalism.
CAA remains politically significant in Bengal
Implementation of the CAA has particular political significance in West Bengal because of the state's long history of migration from neighbouring Bangladesh and the presence of large refugee communities.
Citizenship has consequently remained a prominent political issue in several districts, particularly those bordering Bangladesh and areas with substantial populations of families that migrated to India over successive decades.
The announcement that 23,000 certificates have already been issued provides one of the clearest indications yet of the scale of CAA processing in the state.
With more than two lakh applications still awaiting completion, however, the administration faces a substantial task if it is to conclude hearings within the timeframe indicated by the Chief Minister.