Time for non-BJP CMs to make their stand clear on CAB, NRC: Prashant Kishor

JDU leader Prashant Kishor has asked non-BJP chief ministers to take a stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the National Register for Citizens (NRC).

Kishor has vociferously opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which was supported by his party JDU and later passed by the Parliament.

"The majority prevailed in Parliament. Now beyond judiciary, the task of saving the soul of India is on 16 Non-BJP CMs as it is the states who have to operationalise these acts. 3 CMs (Punjab/Kerala/WB) have said NO to #CAB and #NRC. Time for others to make their stand clear," Kishor tweeted.

The CAB has now become the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 following assent from President Ram Nath Kovind.

According to the Act, members of the Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities who have come from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh till December 31, 2014, and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

Rajya Sabha cleared the legislation on Wednesday after the Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on Monday.

In the Citizenship Act, 1955 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in section 2, in sub-section (1), in clause (b), the following proviso shall be inserted, namely--

"Provided that any person belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian community from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, who entered into India on or before December 31, 2014, and who has been exempted by the Central Government by or under clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Passport (entry into India) Act, 1920 or from the application of the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 or any rule or order made thereunder, shall not be treated as illegal migrant for the purposes of this Act."

The passage of CAB trigged protest in Northeastern states and curfew was imposed in some areas.