Cabinet approves Citizenship Amendment Bill

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh if they face persecution in their countries.

The contentious bill is set to be tabled next week in Parliament in the current Winter Session. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday met several politicians and activists of Northeastern states including the Chief Ministers of Manipur, Nagaland, and Assam to discuss the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Apart from the Chief Ministers of the three states, the activists of North-East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP), Manipur People Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MANPAC) and members of the civil society were also present in the meeting at Assam Bhavan here. Opposition parties including Congress among others have opposed the Bill arguing that the Constitution does not permit granting of citizenship on the basis of religion.

Sources said the inner line permit areas in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland and regions under the Sixth Schedule in the Northeast have been kept out of the purview of the amended bill.