‘Landmark day for India’: PM Modi after Rajya Sabha passes citizenship bill

"Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will not harm the minority communities including Muslims," Amit Shah tells Rajya Sabha

"There is no appreciation of the fact people from 6 religions have been included. But, the focus is only on why Muslims are not included," says Amit Shah

"Can followers of Islam in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan be called minority? No. When the religion of the State is Islam, then, chances of persecution of Muslims is lesser," says Amit Shah, according to ANI.

"Partition on basis of religion was the biggest mistake. The issue arising out of it was not resolved by subsequent governments," Amit Shah says in the Rajysa Sabha over Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

"Law made in past to address problems of Tamils coming from Sri Lanka; now law being made to address problem from three other nations," PTI quotes Amit Shah as saying.

"If Partition had not taken place, then there would have been no need to bring this Bill," says Amit Shah

"If this bill was brought 50 years ago, then the situation had not been so severe today."

"Why will this Bill be a move for political gain? We got the mandate. We have the government and the elections are not due for next 4.5 years. Whoever that criticized this Bill today, I request them to switch off all lights tonight, and sit alone with yourself and have an honest conversation with yourself. Ask yourself, 'is this Bill really against people?'" says Home Minister Amit Shah

"All bills of our government are brought in the House only after they are vetted by the Law & Legislative Department," says Union Minister of Law & Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad in Rajya Sabha

"This Bill will be dilution of our secularism policy in this country. I strongly oppose this Bill. I recommend that the Bill be sent to a select committee of Parliament for scrutiny," says D Kupendra Reddy, JD(S).

"I support this Bill. People in north-east have no religious bias and aren't communal... It's not about religion, minority or majority communities. It's about illegal migrants who've come into our region and threatening to run over our population," KG Kenye, NRP (Naga People's Front), as quoted by ANI.

"This Bill is against the Constitution made by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. It is against the Preamble of the Constitution. It is against the India of the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh," says AAP's Sanjay Singh.

"You believe in the idealogy of dividing the country. You believe in the ideology of spreading hate in the country. We, AAP, stand firmly against this Bill."

"Those who have no idea of India cannot protect the idea of India," says Congress MP Kapil Sibal

"Do not convert this republic into a Jurassic republic."

"You think we don't know what the intention of this government is?

With 'Gharwapsi', 'NRC', 'Triple Talaq', and now CAB, we know your intention.

We know your perception. We know that with just the last name, you want to decide whether one must live in India or not," Kapil Sibal slams the government in Rajya Sabha.

"But let me tell you, no Muslim in India is afraid of you. We are not afraid of you. We are afraid of the Constitution, the same Constitution you are butchering."

"Home minister had said 'CAB wouldn't have been needed if Congress hadn't allowed partition on basis of religion', I don't understand which history books the home minister has read. Two-nation theory is not our theory. It was perpetrated by VD Savarkar, and I request the Home Minister to withdrawn that allegation."

"We in the Congress, believe in one nation," he adds.

"Home minister was right when he said that this is a historic bill. Yes, it is a historic bill because this Bill is about to change our own history. It's about to change the history of India," says Congress MP Kapil Sibal.

"PM Modi is about 'Sabka Saath, sabka vikas', yes? But he has never been 'sabke saath'."

"Muslims are being targeted."

"I come from the land where the ancestors decided to go with India, rather than the Muslim country Pakistan, with a complete faith that we will be treated well and accepted," says J&K PDP's Mir Mohammad Fayaz

"Why are you violating Article 14 by excluding Muslims? Muslims being excluded is the sole problem of this entire act," BSP MP Satish Chandra Mishra says in Rajya Sabha, as quoted by ANI.