Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 passed in Lok Sabha amid heavy debate

The controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday with 311 MPs voting in favour and 80 against the Bill.

The Bill proposes to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 and it was tabled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Lower House of the Parliament and taken up for discussion and passage. It was discussed amid huge uproar from Opposition parties and protests in northeast states.

It will now be tabled in Rajya Sabha to get its nod.

During the discussion, Home Minister Amit Shah gave a detailed explanation and reasserted that it is a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance manifesto.

The House witnessed a fierce debate with AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi even tearing a copy of the Bill, calling it unconstitutional. "Ye aur ek partition hone ja raha hai (One more partition is about to happen). This Bill is against the Constitution of India and disrespect to our freedom fighters. I tear the Bill, it is trying to divide our country," he said.

The Bill also resulted in protests in Northeast India with the people in Assam saying that the Bill will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion. Protests were held in all major cities of Assam with shops being closed in Guwahati following shutdown call by various organisations opposing the Bill.

Responding to the questions, Amit Shah said that "Under no dimension, this bill is unconstitutional, or is against Article 14."

Defending the government, Shah also added that there will be no discrimination on the basis of religion. " the Hindu population was 84% and in 2011, it was 79%. In 1991, the Muslim population was 9.8% & today it's 14.23%. We have done no discrimination on the basis of religion and in the future as well, there will be no discrimination based on religion," he said.

The Home Minister also stated that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and its residents belong to India. "Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) is ours, the people there are also ours. Even today, we have reserved 24 seats for them in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly," he informed the House.

Speaking on the Rohingyas, Shah said, "Rohingya ke log via Bangladesh aate hain. Rohingya ko kabhi bhi swikaar nahi kiya jayega, main abhi isse spasht kar deta hoon. (Rohingyas arrive through Bangladesh. They'll never be accepted, let me make this clear)."

As the debate was nearing its end, Shah stated informed that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Bill are two different things and should be viewed separately. "National Register of Citizens (NRC) aur isko jodne ki zarurat nahi hai. NRC karenge tab spashta ke saath issi sadan mein issi prakaar se sabko iski bhi jankaari dunga. Maan kar chaliye NRC aane wala hai. (There's no need to join this with NRC. I'll inform on the NRC like today in the House again. Be sure that NRC is coming)," he said.

The Bill aims to provide for Indian citizenship to the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of the current mandatory stay of 11 years even if they do not possess any document.

According to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2019, members of these communities, who have come from the three neighbouring nations before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution there will be granted Indian citizenship after a mandatory period of stay.

The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had cleared the Bill during a crucial meeting on Wednesday.

Opposition parties, including Congress, were against the Bill saying that it discriminates on the basis of the religion of the refugee.