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Citizenship Bill gets Lok Sabha nod, Rajya Sabha test next

Union home minister Amit Shah tabled the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha on Monday. The bill was cleared by the Cabinet last week.

By HT Correspondent | Updated: Dec 10, 2019 00:21 IST
Citizenship Bill gets Lok Sabha nod, Rajya Sabha test next
Union home minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha

Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday introduced the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha amid protests by the opposition parties.

The bill proposes to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, and seeks to grant citizenship to illegal non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who allegedly suffered religious persecution there and returned to India before December 31, 2014.

If passed in the Lok Sabha, the bill will become the first instance in the country's history when citizenship will be granted on religious basis.

Responding to criticism from the opposition leaders over the bill being divisive in nature, the home minister targeted the Congress and blamed it for the Partition on the country on religious lines.

“If this bill violates Article 14 (equality before law), then why do minorities get special privileges in this country,” Shah said, drawing sharp reactions from the Opposition.

A headcount carried out at the end of the debate on parliament’s legislative competence voted overwhelmingly - 293 in support vs 82 against - in favour of introducing the bill.

12:16 AM IST

PM Modi congratulates the Home Minister on passage of CAB Bill

PM Modi thanked Amit Shah for lucidly explaining the details of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to respective MPs.

12:11 AM IST

Lok Sabha passes the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019

The Lower House passes the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019. House adjourned until Tuesday, 11:00 AM, December 10th, 2019.

11:44 PM IST

Voting on CAB Bill begins

The lawmakers in the Lower House begin voting on the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

11:37 PM IST

'This CAB Bill will rectify the mistakes of the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of the 1950': Shah

Amit Shah, says that under the leadership of PM Modi, another historical wrong has been corrected. He says that due to vote bank politics political parties did not allow the marginalised from the other nations safety and security that an Indian citizenship can offer.

11:28 PM IST

'I am grateful that Sheikh Mujibur Rehman who founded Bangladesh made sure that minority rights were not trampled upon': Shah

Shah says he believes that post Mujibur Rehman's assassination, minorities suffered a lot. He said that in several districts women from the Hindu community were subjected mass gang rape ordered by the government which took power in Dhaka post Mujibur Rehman's death. He outlined that these incidents happened on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who was instrumental in stopping the Noakhali riots.

11:20 PM IST

'No persons from Bihar, Punjab and Bengal living in the NE region will be affected': Shah

He adds, since Muslims are not a minority in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh hence CAB does not include them.

11:18 PM IST

'North East's lawmakers are assured that the northeastern people's rights will not be trampled upon': Shah

ILP protects Arunachal, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur too will come under its ambit. Tripura ADC areas will be exempt from CAB and a high level committee will look towards protecting the rights of the people. Meghalaya will come under the ILP. Assam has a committee which is looking into Clause 6. Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong regions will not come under the CAB.

11:14 PM IST

'NRC does not need background. Our manifesto is the background of the NRC': Shah

Shah adds we do not hate anybody and said he requests the Opposition to not create hatred in the minds of the countrymen.

11:12 PM IST

'Congress is a communal party. It partners with Sena in Maharashtra and with Muslim League in Kerala': Shah

Amit Shah, home minister, says that Congress is the most communal party and it is they who fear CAB the most because it will dent their vote banks.

11:08 PM IST

'Do Bengal's lawmakers not want their persecuted fellow men and women to avail the benefits of Indian citizenship?': Shah

He says that there is a difference between an infiltrator and a refugee. He adds further that Article 371 will not be touched and NE states can remain assured.

11:04 PM IST

'Vivekananda never envisaged a Bengal where one needs court permission for Durga idol immersion': Shah

Amit Shah spoke in reference to TMC's Abhishek Banerjee's comments where the TMC lawmaker had said that BJP's CAB Bill's contents will leave Vivekananda shell shocked.

10:57 PM IST

'Citizens of PoK are Indian citizens': Shah

Replying to DMK's Dayanidhi Maran's question he says that 26 seats are there in the Assembly, one of them is dedicated to the PoK, which we accept as our constituency.

10:55 PM IST

'When Jinnah proposed 2-nation theory, why did Congress accept his terms and let Partition in 1947 happen?'

Amit Shah says that the then Congress accepted the divide of the nation on the basis of religion. He also says that Rohingyas will never be allowed to set foot in India and will never enjoy the rights that Indians enjoy.

10:51 PM IST

'CAB does not discriminate between people of different religions': Shah

He says it is a measure to correct the historical wrongs done to the persecuted Hindu minority communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

10:48 PM IST

'CAB does not violate Article 14': Shah

CAB is not an unconstitutional bill and neither does it violate Article 14, says Home Minister.

First published: Dec 09, 2019 10:30 IST