Rajya Sabha votes against sending CAB to select committee

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday voted against sending the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2019, to a select committee of parliament for review.

Ninty-nine members voted for sending the Bill to the select committee, while 124 opted for 'NOES' during the voting.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu conducted the voting on a motion moved by CPI-M member KK Ragesh.

Replying to the debate on the Bill, Home Miniter Amit Shah said the Bill has been brought to rectify a historic blunder -- the partition -- and give a dignified life to non-Muslims of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who fled religious persecution and settled in India before December 31, 2014.

Shah said that the need to bring the Bill goes back to the partition and Pakistan's failure to protect its minorities.

The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday with a majority of 311 votes against 80 votes where 391 members were present and voting.