Begin typing your search...
After marathon debate, govt wins battle in LS on CAB
The Citizenship Amendment Bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha after nearly 12 hours of heated discussions on Monday, with 311 voting in support and 80 against. Opposition parties have spoken out against the bill because it proposes to expedite the citizenship process for “minority migrants” from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, leaving those from the Muslim community out of its ambit.
By
migrator
migrator
New Delhi
As Home Minister Amit Shah sought exemption for some areas of the Northeastern States, to whom the Bill will not apply, Opposition members opposed it on the ground that the House did not have the legislative competence to enact the law. Replying to a short debate on the introduction, Shah rejected the Opposition’s claim that the House did not have legislative competence saying the measure has been brought on the basis of “reasonable classification” as had been done in the past even during the Congress regimes.
He dismissed the criticism that the Bill was targeted at Muslims saying the Muslim community was not persecuted in the three countries--Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan--whose minorities were being “religiously persecuted” even now. He also said that Muslims’ application for citizenship would be processed on merits. “This Bill is not even .001 per cent against Muslims. It is against infiltrators,” he said earlier while introducing the Bill. “Citizenship Amendment Bill has the endorsement of 130 crore citizens of the country as it was the part of the BJP manifesto in 2014 as well as 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” Shah said.
“Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram would be protected under the ILP. We will also bring the Manipur valley under the ILP.Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam are well protected too,” he added. Meanwhile, DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran accused the government of dividing minorities by providing citizenship toChristians and not Muslims. Assam and Tripura, two of the eight states that comprise the region which shares international boundaries with China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan, smouldered with protests breaking out despite Shah’s claim.
NE states do not have anything to fear, no need for protests over CAB: Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday sought to assuage the concerns of north-eastern states over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and rejected suggestions that the measure is antiMuslim, saying it will give rights to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Shah said Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram are protected under the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime and “we will bring the Manipur valley under the ILP”. Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam are well protected, he added.
Shah said the Government is committed to protect the customs and culture of people of the region. “I assure the whole of north-east that they do not need to fear anything in the law and they do not have to indulge in any agitation,” he said in an apparent reference to fears in the north-eastern states where there have been agitations against the Bill.
Protests erupt in N E
Assam and Tripura, two of the eight states that comprise the region which shares international boundaries with China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan, smouldered with protests breaking out despite Shah’s claim that the Bill is not against Muslims but infiltrators.
The North East Students Organisation (NESO), the apex organisation of student bodies of the region, has called an 11-hour northeast bandh from 5 am on Tuesday. Nagaland, where the Hornbill Festival is on, has been exempted.
Several Left-democratic organisations have also separately called a 12hour Assam bandh on Tuesday.
Violation of Article 14: Cong
Shah rejected Opposition criticism that the government had not engaged with the stakeholders. “We have held over 120 hours of discussions including with Congress leaders. We have incorporated various suggestions in the Bill,” Shah said.
Initiating a debate, Congress member Manish Tewari said his party was opposed to the measure as it was in violation of various provisions of the Constitution, including Article 14 that provides equality before law for all citizens.
Referring to Shah’s justification on the basis of reasonable classification, Tewari said equals cannot be treated as unequals and added, “whoever came as refugees, we never denied them citizenship.” DMK member Dayanidhi Maran accused the government of dividing minorities by giving Christians citizenship and not the Muslims.
Earlier, while replying to a short debate on the Bill’s introduction, Shah said there was no contradiction or violation of the Constitutional provisions, especially Article 14 which provides for equality before the law and protection under the law to all citizens. “But I want to say that the basis for the new law is reasonable classification and Parliament cannot be stopped from enacting a law on the subject,” Shah said.
Explaining the rationale behind the Bill, Shah said Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan were contiguous to India. When Opposition questioned his statement on Afghanistan sharing border with India, he shot back “don’t provoke me. I know geography. There is a 106-km border with Afghanistan”.
Congress divided India on religious lines, says Shah
Introducing the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha on Monday amid vociferous protests by Opposition parties, Home Minister Amit Shah mounted a stinging attack on Congress, blaming the party for dividing India on religious lines during Partition.The Opposition has insisted that the Bill, which seeks to make citizenship easier for refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan escaping religious persecution (leaving out only Muslims), discriminated against people on the basis of religion.
“It was the Congress who discriminated between Hindu and Muslim refugees. This Bill will give these persecuted people citizenship,” Amit Shah said.Raising concerns, Congress floor leader AdhirRanjan Chowdhury, said, “It is nothing but targeted legislation for the minority people of our country.”
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android
Next Story
