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Parliament passes contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill
The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill after a six hour long debate with 125 voting in favour and 105 voting against it.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Home Minister Amit Shah, who moved the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha, said the legislation seeks to provide citizenship to persecuted minorities in the three countries and not take away citizenship of anyone. He rejected the Opposition charge that the bill was against Muslims and said they have nothing to fear.
Besides BJP, its allies such as JD-U and SAD, the legislation was supported by AIADMK, BJD, TDP and YSR-Congress.
The passage of the Bill came after the House rejected Motions moved by KK Ragesh of the CPM and Benoy Vishvam of the CPI to refer the Bill to a Select committee of the Rajya Sabha. The Motions were rejected with 99 voting in favour and 124 voting against.Â
The House also rejected amendments moved on the Bill by several members including K K Ragesh, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Javed Ali Khan, Tiruchi Shiva, Elavaram Kareem, Rajeev Gowda and Derek O Brien.
With the passage of the Bill in the Upper House, the Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 9, has got the nod of Parliament.
According to the Citizenship (Ammendment) Bill, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.Â
HIGHLIGHTS
- Rajya Sabha votes against sending CAB to select committee
- Shiv Sena boycotts voting
- TMC's motion for 14 amendments defeated
- Rajya Sabha passes CAB
- The Bill will now go to the President for his assent.
- Rajya Sabha is adjourned till December 12, 2019.
'Dark day' in constitutional history of India
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill marks a "dark day" in constitutional history of India and a "victory of narrow minded and bigoted forces" over the country's pluralism.
In a statement, she also reiterated Congress' determination to be relentless in its struggle against what she alleged was the BJP's "dangerously divisive and polarising agenda".
"The Bill fundamentally challenges the idea of India that our forefathers fought for and, in its place, creates a disturbed, distorted and divided India where religion will become a determinant of nationhood," she said.Â
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