“Shah also gave elaborate answers to the various points raised by honorable MPs during the debate in Lok Sabha,” Modi said
New Delhi: On Monday the Lok Sabha passed the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) with 311 in favor and 80 against. The Bill is likely to be taken up in the upper house on Wednesday.
Over a six-hour-long debate on the CAB, Union Home Minister Amit shah insisted that the proposed law does not discriminate against Indian Muslims but aimed at protecting continue mistreating of minorities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. He said the Bill was a result of the failure of the 1950 Nehru-Liaquat pact. Shah said there is a distinction between illegal immigrants and refugees. Members of the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Left parties and others disputed this, has termed it as divisive and that it was a ‘trap’ and inextricably linked to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise, which has ‘failed’ in Assam.
Amit Shah said there was no linkage, and only those involved in “vote bank politics” were thinking of it as a trap. He accused “some parties” of creating an “atmosphere of fear”. “We are very clear that we will carry out the NRC. This is not a ‘background’ for it, our manifesto is the background,” Shah said.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the Bill was a “conspiracy to make Muslims stateless”, and ripped a copy of the Bill to highlight his protest. Members from the treasury benches said Owaisi had insulted Parliament. Opposition members said the Bill violated the Constitution, especially equality before law enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution. The Congress resolved to move the top Court once Parliament passes the Bill.
Trinamool Congress party leader and MP Abhishek Banerjee said the West Bengal government would not allow NRC in the state. Shah disagreed that it was unconstitutional, identifying the Bill would grant citizenship to “mistreated minorities” in theocratic states of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
He said Muslims were not covered since they were not a minority in these three countries. Shah sought to assure the minorities that the government was committed to giving security and equal rights to all citizens. MPs from regional parties in the Northeast supported the Bill, demanded that their respective states be kept out of the purview of the proposed law.
In the debate, Amit Shah said the CAB has the endorsement of India’s 130 crore citizens as it was part of the BJPs’ election manifestoes in 2014 and 2019.
Some opposition leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Saugata Roy, N K Premchandran, Gaurav Gogoi, Shashi Tharoor, and Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the introduction of the bill, said it was violating of various provisions of the Constitution, including the move to grant citizenship on the basis of religion.
While defending the introduction of the bill.
Shah said Congress had “divided” India on the basis of religion that is why it was necessary to bring the bill. He added that it was brought on the basis of reasonable classifications provided under the Constitution.
Delighted that the Lok Sabha has passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 after a rich and extensive debate. I thank the various MPs and parties that supported the Bill. This Bill is in line with India’s centuries old ethos of assimilation and belief in humanitarian values.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 9, 2019
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed delight over the transit of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Lower House, said the proposed law is in line with India’s centuries-old ethos of assimilation and belief in humanitarian values.
“Delighted that the Lok Sabha has passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 after a rich and extensive debate. I thank the various MPs and parties that supported the Bill. This Bill is in line with India’s centuries-old ethos of assimilation and belief in humanitarian values,” he tweeted.
He said he would like to especially applaud Home Minister Amit Shah for lucidly explaining all aspects of the measure. “Shah also gave elaborate answers to the various points raised by respective MPs during the debate in Lok Sabha,” Modi said.
The PM addressed election rallies in Jharkhand earlier in the day, was not present in the House during the passage of the Bill.
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