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

Derek O'Brien says home minister said nobody need worry. But says, there is cause for worry. Refers to demonetisation, calls it hoax;

Says, This govt is very good at making promises, it is even better at breaking promises.

Derek O'Brien: We are criticising this bill on legitimate ground. Says, this political party talks of right but its roots are in lies and jumla.

Says, today a big lie is being propagated to sound like truth.

Derek O'Brien of Trinamool Congress begins by speaking in Bangla. Says he will speak in English after that. Opposing the bill.

Says, he has had four years to prepare for speaking on this (CAB) bill.

JP Nadda: This bill is in national interest. Quotes Manmohan Singh during a previous Parliament session speaking in favour of the Citizenship Bill.

'This bill not in interest of any particular party or region but in the interest of the country.'

BJP leader JP Nadda speaking on the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha. Congratulates home minister for bringing the bill in Parliament.

Union Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha: We will bring a proposal tomorrow that a joint select committee of both the Houses should hold deliberations on Data Protection Bill.

There will be no lunch break today in Rajya Sabha, as debate on Citizenship Amendment Bill is underway.

Anand Sharma. referring to a BBC documentary on detention centres in Assam, asks home minister if there will be detention centres in the whole country. Says conditions in these centres are very bad.

Anand Sharma says, "In our religion, we believe in rebirth,and that we meet our elders. So if Sardar Patel meets Modi ji then he will be very angry with him, Gandhi ji will, of course, be sad, but Patel will be indeed very angry."

Quotes Mahatma Gandhi, tells home minister there should not be any hurry in passing the bill.

Anand Sharma: Amendments should be after discussion.

Refers to Amit Shah mentioning the BJP manifesto during CAB debate. But, says, that a manifesto can't be above the country's Constitution.

Anand Sharma says, it was Veer Savarkar who said "he had no objection to MA Jinnah's proposal of a two-nation theory".

Says, whenever there was an amendment, it was never done on the basis of religion. That is why I said it is against Article 14."

"this bill of yours fails the constitutionality test', says Anand Sharma

Anand Sharma: "India's partition was due to an act of the British Parliament. It is wrong to blame Congress for it."

Congress MP Anand Sharma: We oppose the bill, our opposition is not political, ....the bill is an assault on Republic of India, hurts the soul of India. It is against our democracy and Constitution, fails the morality test,

RS Chairman says six hours have been allocated to debate the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Amit Shah assures members that all their queries and doubts will be answered by him, says he is ready to do it.

Adds, the moment this bill is passed, it will be new beginning and a new day for those who have been persecuted.

Amit Shah says, want to assure all native citizens of Assam that the BJP and Modi govt will look after your rights.

"In 1985, Assam accord happened. There is a provision in clause 6 to protect indigenous culture of the state. I want to assure that NDA government through committee to supervise clause 6 will protect rights of Assam. All Assam Students' Union is part of committee."