NEW DELHI, Dec 9 - The Centre on Monday relaxed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 by bringing Manipur under the ambit of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in addition to the three States in the Northeast. Amidst frequent interruptions, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today introduced the contentious CAB for discussion and passing. The government on Monday though faced an agitated Opposition in the Lok Sabha when it tried to introduce the Bill.
The Union Home Minister intervened and tried to explain in details the various provisions of the Bill. Unconvinced, the Opposition pressed for voting at the introduction stage. The BJP and NDA polled 293 votes, while the Opposition polled 82 votes taking the total to 375 votes polled.
AIUDF MP Badruddin Ajmal did not take part in voting. AIUDF had on Monday organised a demonstration at Jantar Mantar against the Bill.
The Bill was supported by Shiv Sena and Janata Dal (United).
The discussion on the Bill started in the afternoon, when Shah made an introductory remark while initiating the debate on the Bill. Referring to the Northeast, he said, �Under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have been given protection, while the ILP will be introduced in Manipur, which is a long pending demand of the valley. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in one stroke fulfilled the demand,� declared the Union Home Minister.
In Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam, the Sixth Schedule areas have been given protection. As for rest of the State of Assam, Clause VI of Assam Accord will be implemented.
Attacking the Congress, Shah said that the party had done nothing to implement the Assam Accord. The BJP has formed a committee to implement Clause VI of the Accord. �Those who signed the Assam Accord did nothing to implement it. Nothing happened for years in Assam,� he alleged.
Earlier, while tabling the Bill, the Home Minister clarified that the CAB does not violate any Article of the Constitution. Shah said that the Bill is essential because the Congress party divided the country on the basis of religion. In Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are all Islamic countries, religious persecution takes places and the six communities of Hindus, Parsis, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhist come to India and there is a need to grant them citizenship and this is reasonable classification of Article 14, Shah clarified, adding that Muslims do not face religious persecution in those countries and therefore there is no reasonable classification, he said.
The Opposition also alleged violation of Article 14 and 15 of the Constitution.
�The Bill resolves all concerns and there is no need for agitation,� said the Union Home Minister. �In the last one month, I held discussions with 140 NGOs and political parties,� he said.
Introducing the Bill, Shah said that the Bill was a promise made by BJP in its party manifesto. It was an announcement made in the poll manifesto that religious persecuted would be given citizenship. �We are committed to bring the CAB. We will clarify the provisions regarding the Northeast. We will safeguard the identity of the indigenous people in Northeast,� the Union Home Minister clarified. �We will initiate the discussion today. This Bill doesn�t contradict any clause of the Constitution. The earlier governments have given citizenship to people from Uganda and Bangladesh,� he said.
He said all these years the religious persecuted people did not have any rights.
Earlier, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury described the Bill as a regressive legislation, which targets minorities. It�s against Article 14 of Constitution, he charged.
All India Trinamool Congresss MP Saugata Roy said statement of objects and reasons are ambiguous and the government proposes a law that will apply differently in different areas of India. This Bill is divisive and unconstitutional, he said.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi alleged that the Bill violates special protection given to Northeast by the Constitution and the Assam Accord.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor charged that it�s an assault on foundational values of our nation. �Should religion be the determinant of our nation? he asked. We don�t have the competence to discuss the Bill.
