Parliament passes The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019

The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 has been passed by the Parliament, with the Rajya Sabha approving it last 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 passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday. 311 members had voted in its favour and 80 members opposing 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.

He said the NDA Government is committed to preserving their cultural, social and linguistic identities. The Home Minister also said that the legislation will give bring a new light into the lives of the people who were facing religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.