Union cabinet clears Citizenship Bill; to be tabled in Parliament soon

The Bill seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan if they faced religious persecution there, sources said

Paving the way for Parliament to take up the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the draft law that seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan if they faced religious persecution there.

Slammed by the Opposition as divisive and communal, the bill is a key part of the BJP's ideological project as it proposes citizenship to non-Muslim, mostly Hindus, refugees living in India and will protect them from the nation-wide NRC drive the central government is planning to identify illegal immigrants.

At the Cabinet briefing, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the government has