The Students' Federation of India (SFI) on Saturday filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
The plea also challenged the validity of the power of the Central government for granting class exemption under the Passport Entry into India Act, 1920 and Foreigners Act, 1946.
The students' federation said that the student will be the worst affected by this act, which it claimed, "attempts to make a distinction between the citizen and non-citizen on the basis of religion".
SFI said that it represents the students of the country who aspire to join in various trade, occupation, and professions upon completion of their study.
"The CAA as a whole has become an impediment for the fulfilment of their dreams as the Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India guarantees the freedom of business, profession, trade only to the citizen of India," the petition said.
It contended that there is a substantial threat of loss of occupational, professional protection due to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), National Population Register (NPR) and the other measures undertaken under the amended citizenship law.
"Explicit preference to certain religious groups to the exclusion of others can never, in the Indian Constitutional scheme, constitute a valid and reasonable classification meeting the test of Article 14 of the Constitution. Hence, The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution and therefore void," the petition said.
Several petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court against the citizenship law, which is witnessing major opposition and protests across the country.
The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghstan, and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.
( With inputs from ANI )