India citizenship law faces pushback in court and international arena

NEW DELHI -- India's move to implement a citizenship law criticized by some as anti-Muslim has drawn over 200 court challenges, while raising concerns among certain foreign governments.

More than four years after the bill's approval in parliament, the government this month moved to implement what is known as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, just as the country gears up for a general election in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be seeking a third term. The legislation is designed to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslim immigrants who fled religious persecution in neighboring Muslim-majority countries -- Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan -- before the end of 2014.