New Delhi: The controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), slated to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday, says the refugees entering India before December 31, 2014 will be eligible to get the Indian citizenship.
Only members of Hindu, Sikh, Christians, Jain, Buddhist and Parsi communities who came from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given the Indian citizenship when the amendments in the six-decade-old Act comes into effect.
The Opposition is agitated over the Bill excluding the Muslims despite some among them are also persecuted in these countries. It is also concerned why the Tamils coming from Sri Lanka in large numbers and Rohangiyas from Myanmar will continue to be treated as illegal immigrants.
The Bill circulated to the MPs on Friday says the new law will not be applicable to the Inner Line Permit regime areas and those tribal regions of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura which are governed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
It seeks to give immunity to such refugees facing legal cases after being found as illegal migrants in various states and facing prosecution in courts for their re-partition. The Bill says: "Provided further that the person who makes the application for citizenship under this section shall not be deprived of his rights and privileges to which he was entitled on the date of receipt of his application on the ground of making such an application."
The Opposition seems not united on the floor strategy in the two Houses of Parliament on how to scuttle the Bill despite two rounds of discussions among 12 non-BJP parties. They included Congress, NCP, Trinamul Congress, DMK and Rashtriya Janata Dal. The Shiv Sena refused to join the Opposition conclave in the Bill.
No consensus emerged on the specific floor management in respect of the Bill that allows the Indian citizenship to the persecuted non-Muslim minorities from the three Muslim neighbours.
Trinamul's Derek O'Brien, who had taken the responsibility to unite all parties, says each party is left to plan own individual tactics. All, however, agreed to utilise the intervening period of four days to flight the canards being spread by the ruling BJP on the Bill to point out its mischief of communalise the people.
The tearing hurry
NEW DELHI: The Government's tearing hurry in passage of the CAB is reflected in its consideration and passage on the same day of introduction in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Home Minister Amit Shah is to introduce the Bill shortly after the noon and it is listed in the afternoon for consideration and passage.
Speaker Om Birla endorses the hurry with which the Government wants the Bill passed as the list of business says "as a special case, he has permitted tabling of amendments to the bill up to 1000 hrs on Monday.
Since the Bill is to be considered and passed on the same day of its introduction, the Speaker passed the order to allow amendments up to 10 AM. The ruling BJP has issued a whip to its MPs to be present in the House when the Bill is taken up for voting.
A similar whip is issued to the BJP MPs in the Rajya Sabha where the government intends to bring the Bill immediately after it is passed in the Lok Sabha. Its hurry alike one on Dowry Bill and J&K bifurcation Bill is also because it wants the Bill passed in this session itself that is ending on Friday.