The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, if made law, would grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees of religious persecution in Pakistan and two other nations. Approval by the Rajya Sabha is pending.
HIGHLIGHTS
- CAB passed by Lok Sabha, to be discussed tomorrow in RS
- Imran Khan slams bill, attacks BJP and RSS
- Bill violates norms of int’l human rights law: Imran
In a tweet, he said today that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill “violates all norms of international human rights law and bilateral agreements with Pakistan”.
He attacked the Modi government and the BJP’s parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claiming the citizenship bill was part of a “Hindu Rashtra” design “of expansionism”.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed early this morning — shortly after midnight — by the Lok Sabha, where the government and its allies have an overwhelming majority.
The bill will be discussed in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow afternoon.
The government does not have a majority there, but is expected to receive support from neutral parties.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is hugely controversial; its critics say it is unconstitutional, and protests have been held in several parts of India against it.
A bandh called by a body of student organisations is currently underway in several states in the Northeast.
Prasanta Patnaik