The Centre on Wednesday cleared the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) and is likely to be introduced next week in the ongoing winter session of the Parliament.
Several organisations and individuals have been protesting against the Bill in Northeast.
Before we proceed let’s know what the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill all about.
CAB seeks to grant Indian citizenship to the Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The bill amends the Citizenship Act, 1955, to make illegal migrants in the select categories eligible for Indian citizenship.
On Tuesday, defence minister Rajnath Singh made it clear that CAB was the top priority of the government, equating its significance with the decision to turn Article 370 into a dead letter.
For leaving out the Muslims from the Bill, the opposition parties, minority bodies and others have lashed out at the Centre.
“Leaving out Muslims on the basis of religion goes against the spirit of the Constitution as it does not differentiate between citizens on the basis of their faith,” the opposition parties have said repeatedly.
Congress, Trinamool, DMK, Samajwadi Party, RJD and Left, and even regional parties like BJD have opposed CAB.
However, others like BJP’s ally in Assam AGP seems to have warmed up to the idea of CAB after the government assured changes in it.
BJP’s other regional allies- the Akali Dal and JD (U)- are also likely to support the Bill.
CAB was passed by the Lok Sabha in this year in January, however, could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha as BJP did not have the required majority.
This time, however, it is expected that the CAB will be passed at Rajya Sabha as well and it will get the required number with the help Rajya Sabha MPs of its own and the allies- JD (U) and Akali Dal.
The opposition, however, is hoping that BJP’s allies will not be as enthusiastic about CAB and the other parties like AIADMK will also not extend its support to the Bill.