Citizenship Bill discriminates against Muslims: IPS officer

Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Abdur Rahman, who resigned from service to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), on Thursday said the bill is against the idea of India and discriminates against the Muslim community.

Rahman, a 1995-batch officer, who was posted as Inspector General of Police at the State Human Rights Commission, submitted his resignation to additional chief secretary (Home) on Wednesday as a mark of protest against the contentious bill.

The bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Lok Sabha passed it on Monday.

Talking to PTI, Rahman claimed the bill is unconstitutional and against the basic social fabric of the country.

"It will divide the country on the basis of caste and religion. It will be most harmful to the poor and deprived sections of the country, including the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Muslims. Hence, I request them to oppose the bill in a democratic way," he said.

"I have made an appeal to all my brothers and sisters of the nation, especially the tolerant, secular and justice- loving Hindu brothers, who have an idea of a prosperous and united India, to oppose the bill," Rahman said.

The bill clearly discriminates against the Muslim community, he claimed, adding that religion cannot become a basis of giving citizenship to people or depriving them of it.

"It is completely unconstitutional and against the very basic feature of equality. The bill violates Article 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution. It is against the ethos and very spirit of the Constitution," he said.

If the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and CAB are implemented jointly, the people (non-Muslims), who are not able to produce documents, will be declared as refugees and will get citizenship, he said, adding that the burden will only be on Muslims to prove their citizenship.

The bill runs against the religious pluralism and spirit of tolerance of the Indian nation and if implemented, it will destroy the brotherhood and common fabric among the people, Rahman said.