LS passes contentious citizenship bill; Oppn calls it 'divisive', 'flawed'

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a contentious bill seeking to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangaldesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, amid protests in north eastern states and opposition parties terming the proposed law "divisive" and "flawed".

Immediately after Home Minister Rajnath Singh introduced the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said there are "flaws" in the bill that does not address the Assam Accord and requested the Speaker to send it to a select committee. His party walked out after the Speaker refused to accept the demand.

Other opposition party leaders, including TMC's Saugata Roy dubbed the bill as "divisive" and "insidious" that goes against the basic tenets of the Constitution. "This is the worst form of vote-bank politics", Roy added.

Defending the bill, which he said was not "Assam-centric", the Home Minister asserted that the bill was not against the provisions of the Constitution and would give succour to persecuted minorities in three neighbouring countries as they "have no place to go to, except India."