Parliament HIGHLIGHTS: Rajya Sabha passes Citizenship Amendment Bill

9:42 PM

Citizenship Bill unconstitutional, will totally destroy minorities: Deve Gowda

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday said he was opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as "it will totally destroy minorities and is unconstitutional".

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Rajya Sabha passes Citizenship Amendment Bill

Rajya Sabha on Wednesday approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, completing the legislative procedure for giving Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

 

Replying to a six-and-a-half-hour debate on the bill, Home Minister Amit Shah said the legislation seeks to provide citizenship to persecuted minorities in the three countries and not take away citizenship of anyone. He rejected the Opposition charge that the bill was against Muslims and said they have nothing to fear.

 

The Bill was passed with 125 votes in favour and 105 against it. Besides BJP, its allies such as JD-U and SAD, the legislation was supported by AIADMK, BJD, TDP and YSR-Congress.

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Amit Shah says citizenship bill not anti-Muslim, rejects Oppn charge that it is unconstitutional

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday rejected the Opposition's charge that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was anti-Muslim, saying it does not take away the citizenship of any Indian Muslim and only seeks to given the same to persecuted minorities of three neighbouring countries.

 

Replying to a debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, he said the need to bring this Bill would not have arisen had Partition not taken place on the basis of religion. The Bill does not snatch citizenship of Muslims and their is no need for them to have any fear, he said.

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Rajya Sabha passes Citizenship Bill

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7:50 PM

Curfew imposed in Guwahati extended till indefinite period amid violent protests

Curfew imposed on Wednesday in Assam's Guwahati was extended till indefinite period, amid violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, a senior police official said.

 

The curfew, which was imposed at 6.15 pm, has been extended till indefinite period, Assam Police Additional Director General (Law and Order) Mukesh Agrawal told PTI.

7:29 PM

Shiv Sena supported citizenship bill in Lok Sabha, what changed overnight that they are now opposing it, asks Amit Shah

7:28 PM

Sikkim will continue to enjoy rights under Article 371, no dilution: Home Minister Amit Shah

7:28 PM

Home Minister Shah assures Assam that govt is committed to preserving language, culture of state.

6:41 PM

Law made in past to address problems of Tamils coming from Sri Lanka; now law being made to address problem from three other nations: Shah

6:41 PM

Partition on basis of religion was biggest mistake. Issue arising out of it not resolved by subsequent govts, says Home Minister Amit Shah

6:41 PM

Citizenship Bill necessitated because of partition of country, says Home Minister Amit Shah while replying to debate in Rajya Sabha

5:32 PM

Army deploys two columns in Tripura, puts one on standby in Assam amid anti-CAB protests in northeast: Army spokesman

5:29 PM

Citizenship Amendment Bill a slap on face of Parliament: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday termed the Citizenship Amendment Bill a slap on the face of Parliament and said the government is "ramming" through with it in order to advance its Hindutva agenda.

 

Participating in a debate on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, he charged the government with "wrecking and demolishing" the Constitution through it and expressed confidence that the judiciary would strike down the law.

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4:42 PM

Congress spreading confusion over CAB: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday charged the Congress with speaking the "language of Pakistan" on the Citizen (Amendment) Bill, and asked its leaders about their concerns when Kashmiri pandits were forced out of the valley.

 

Chouhan, also the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, alleged that the opposition Congress was creating confusion over the CAB.

4:01 PM

5,000 paramilitary personnel being sent to NE in wake of protests over citizenship bill

The Centre on Wednesday airlifted 5,000 paramilitary personnel to Northeastern states, including Assam, for maintenance of law and order duties in the wake protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill being debated in Parliament, officials said.

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Assam turns into battleground amid anti-CAB protests

Tens of thousands of protesters against CAB descended on the streets of Assam on Wednesday, clashing with police and plunging the state into chaos of a magnitude unseen since the violent 6-year movement by students that ended with the signing of the Assam accord.

 

Though no party or student body has called a shutdown, protesters, a majority of them students, fought pitched battles with security forces in the restive state, including in front of the secretariat, the seat of the BJP government.

 

Police fired tear gas shells and baton-charged protesters, who fought back. Assam smouldered with protests rocking several parts of the state on the day the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is being hotly debated in the Rajya Sabha after its passage by the Lok Sabha.

3:55 PM

Delhi Cong stages protest against Citizenship Bill near BJP headquarters

Congress leaders and workers on Wednesday staged a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill near the BJP headquarters on DDU Marg here.

Police put up barricades near the saffron party headquarters to prevent the protestors from marching ahead.

3:22 PM

Shiv Sena set to oppose Citizenship Amendment Bill

Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena: I have been hearing since yesterday that those who do not support this Bill are anti-national and those who support it are nationalist

2:58 PM

Haasan slams citizenship bill, says it amounts to 'discrimination'

Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan on Wednesday lashed out at the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, saying it amounted to the 'crime' of attempting a surgery on a "disease-free" person.

 

The actor-politician's strong-worded response on the issue comes two days after the bill was passed in Lok Sabha and taken up for discussion in the upper house on Wednesday.

 

"Trying to make India a country where only one set of people live is discrimination," he said in a statement.

 

"We certainly have a duty to rectify any error in the Constitution. But trying to correct a good, error-free system is a betrayal of the people and democracy," he said.

 

"The central government's legislation is equal to the crime of attempting a surgery on disease-free person," Haasan in a party statement.

 

The Lok Sabha had earlier adopted the bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to members of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan by December 31, 2014 and faced religious persecution in those countries.

2:53 PM

We do not divide people on the basis on caste, creed and religion. We believe in staying together: Mamata Banerjee at Business Conclave.

2:33 PM

Home minister Amit Shah misleading country on Constitution Bill: Congress

The Congress accused Home Minister Amit Shah of "misleading" the country on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill and claimed that the proposed legislation was a direct attack on the Constitution, aimed at diverting the attention of the people from real issues such as the economic slowdown.

 

The government is trying to divide the people of the country and divert attention from the problems being faced by them, Congress General Secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal told reporters.

 

Asked if the Congress would approach the Supreme Court against the bill if it is passed by Parliament, he said, "We will explore all possibilities." "The Home minister is misleading the country (on Citizenship Amendment Bill)...It is a direct attack on the Constitution. It is a direct attack against our fundamental rights and values," Venugopal said.

 

He also said the Congress has done all preparations for the party's "massive" 'Bharat Bachao Rally' which is going to be held on December 14 here.

 

"This will be a historic rally against the anti-people policies of the Narendra Modi government," Venugopal said.