Mumbai: The Shiv Sena, which joined hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, is set to vote against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, in the Lok Sabha.
Seemingly, the BJP's former ally has acquired a ‘secular’ streak and is claiming that the Bill would pose a threat to national security.
The Congress, the Trinamool, the DMK, the Samajwadi Party, the RJD and the Left are already vehemently opposed to the proposed legislation.
Shiv Sena MP Rajendra Gavit indicated as much when he said his party has strong reservations over the Bill.
Another Sena MP, who preferred anonymity, observed that the Bill links religion to citizenship, which is against the ethos of our civilization, culture and Constitution.
The Bill, which seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, proposes to simplify the process of granting citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from the three neighbouring Muslim majority countries.
The proposal has been attacked by the Opposition, minority outfits and others for excluding Muslims from its ambit and also on the ground that it is at odds with the Constitution, which does not differentiate between citizens on the basis of faith.
However, the BJP led government at the Centre has clarified that it has always worked to unite the country and its people. The Bill is significant since the BJP leadership equates it with the Centre's move to nullify Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state of J&K.
