While introducing the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, 11 December, Home Minister Amit Shah said that Indian Muslims “were, are and will remain Indian citizens”.
Moving the Bill, that provides Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Shah said minorities in the three nations do not get equal rights.
“Muslims in India don’t need to fear about the Bill, but Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh cannot be given citizenship in India.”Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha
The population of minorities in these countries has reduced by as much as 20 percent, either by way of elimination or having migrated to India, he said, adding that these migrants did not get rights to jobs and education, reported PTI.
Claiming that the BJP government will protect the interests of the Assamese people, Shah was purportedly heckled by Opposition members, with Rajya Sabha TV then briefly stopping the telecast of proceedings.
Catch all the live updates on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill here.
Shah rejected the charge of vote bank politics, saying the BJP had declared its intention to bring such a legislation in its election manifesto for the 2019 general election and won the approval of the people.
Meanwhile, several MPs of Opposition parties moved a motion to send the Bill to a Select Committee of the Upper House.
The Bill and the Opposition motion will be put to vote after a debate on it.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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