Citizenship Amendment Bill

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday stated that Congress will not allow the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the North East if it is voted to power.

The Supreme Court issued notice to the central and Assam governments on a petition challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. Court asked the Centre and the state government to respond within four weeks.

The contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and the one on banning triple talaq are set to lapse on June 3 when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends as they could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha which adjourned sine die on Wednesday.

Whatever the fate of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha, the Government should not implement it until after talks with various protesting groups, including State governments, in the North-East.

Massive demonstrations and protest rallies were held in Mizoram and Tripura on Tuesday to protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed in East and West Imphal districts ahead of the tabling of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, Tez said the proposed legislation undermines the “documented position” of his father, who was awarded the country’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna posthumously by the Narendra Modi government last month.

Former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Sunday said the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is “wrong” in all aspects and claimed there is no chance of getting it passed in the Rajya Sabha as the government is “unlikely” to introduce it in the Upper House.

Addressing a rally in West Bengal’s Thakurnagar, PM Modi urged Trinamool Congress to support the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament to give the refugees living in India the right to citizenship. Lok Sabha has already cleared the Bill, which is now pending in the Rajya Sabha.

Amid opposition from several allies of BJP to the Citizenship Amendment Bill, President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said it will help those persecuted and compelled to seek refuge in India to secure Indian citizenship.