What could be called a morale boosting for anti-CAB protesters, BSP chief Mayawati has dubbed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as unconstitutional and divisive.
Mayawati has demanded that the bill be sent to a parliamentary committee for review.
“The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill cleared by the central cabinet is both unconstitutional and divisive.
“Citizenship in the name of religion and discrimination in the name of religion is totally against the basic structure of the humanitarian and secular Constitution of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar,” Mayawati said at an event in Lucknow on Thursday evening.
Her statement could certainly boost the anti-CAB agitators as the bill is likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Mayawati suggested that the bill should be sent to a parliamentary committee for better deliberations “so that this bill could come before people in a proper manner that is in consonance with the Constitution.”
In fact, BJP’s ally, Janata Dal (United) has also asked the government to send the bill to a parliamentary standing committee before making its passage.
“If there is a consensus over the bill, we will not have any issue,” said JD (U) leader KC Tyagi.
The Union Cabinet, on Wednesday, has cleared the CAB that seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan if they faced religious persecution there.