Lok Sabha passes the CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT BILL |
In a major move, The Lok Sabha has passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill that amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship. The Citizenship Bill, 2016 will amend the laws governing citizenship, formed in 1955, to grant Indian nationality to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who fled religious persecution from the three neighboring countries and entered India before December 31, 2014. The bill relaxes the 11-year requirement to six years for persons belonging to the all the six religions from the three countries. The bill was passed amid vigorous dissent by several opposition parties, including the Congress and the Left Front. Most parties from the northeast, even those that were allies of the BJP, have also strongly opposed Bill, saying it is against the fundamental aspects of the Indian constitution. After the passage of the bill, Assam`s BJP spokesperson Mehdi Alam Bora resigned all party posts in protest.
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