India`s Parliament passes Citizenship Amendment Bill |
The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 has been passed by the Parliament, with the Rajya Sabha approving it on Wednesday night. 125 members supported the legislation while 105 opposed it. The House also negated the amendments moved by Opposition parties while approving the Bill. The bill was already passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday as 311 members voted in its favour and 80 members opposed it. The bill amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants of six communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship. The communities are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians. Speaking on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that it is not against the Muslims. He said they will continue to enjoy the rights as the citizens of the country. Mr Shah also allayed the fears of the people from North-Eastern States, saying the bill will not affect their interests. The North-Eastern states of India is a melting pot of races and home to almost 238 indigenous tribes that are not Hindu by faith. The region consists of many “nations" that have somehow been integrated with India. As the parliament passed the bill, the people of Assam feel cornered after home minister Amit Shah said CAB will not be implemented in states where the Inner Line Permit (ILP) or the Sixth Schedule, which grants a degree of autonomy to tribal councils, operates.
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