Shiv Sena always takes stand for national interest, will support CAB: Arvind Sawant

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After Shiv Sena supported the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) in the Lok Sabha, party MP Arvind Sawant on Tuesday said that the support will continue in the Rajya Sabha as well because of 'national interest'.

"We will support (CAB). Do we have different roles? Shiv Sena always takes the stand which is good for the national interest, this is not anyone's monopoly," Sawant told ANI here.

The Sena leader asserted that his party being in coalition with the Congress in Maharashtra will not affect its stand on the issue as they were not a member of UPA.

"We are not a member of the UPA yet, our common minimum program is for the state. When we become a part of the UPA then it will be for people's welfare. This was also our stand even when we were a part of the NDA", he said.

Sawant further stated that Sena's questions, regarding voting rights to the people who will be granted citizenship and where they will be rehabilitated, had not been answered in full by the BJP but the decision had been taken keeping the interest of the refugees who had already arrived and were living in India.

The Shiv Sena MP also took a jibe at Home Minister Amit Shah over his statement in which he had targeted Congress for its coalition with Shiv Sena (in Maharashtra) and the Muslim League (in Kerala) yesterday.

"He (Shah) should have said that they were in alliance with us (Shiv Sena) for the last 25 years. Leave alone that, they (BJP) had even been in coalition with Mehbooba Mufti," he said.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which was passed by Lok Sabha yesterday, will be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The Bill, which seeks to give citizenship to refugees from the Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zorastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh was passed in Lok Sabha on Monday.

Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship Bill with a majority of 311 votes against 80 votes in the Lower House where 391 members were present and voted.

In Rajya Sabha, the Centre requires the support of at least 123 MPs in the 245-member house.