Left Parties To Move Amendments To Citizenship Amendment Bill; Seek To Remove Reference To Religions

The Left parties, opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Bill that is likely to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday (9 December), have decided to move amendments to the CAB.

The Left would move two amendments seeking deletion of reference to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and religions in the Bill and bringing under its ambit refugees from all neighbouring countries, it said on Sunday.

The CAB is being opposed by the Congress as well as other opposition parties, but the government has decided to go ahead with it.

The North East Students Organisation (NESO), also opposed to the Bill, has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah whether the government is for citizens or illegal migrants.

"From its attitude and approach it shows the government is for the illegal migrants," the NESO, which is spear-heading the protest against the amendment of the Citizenship Act, 1955, noted in its letter to Modi and Shah.

The NESO has also called for a northeast shutdown on 10 December.

The union cabinet last week had given its nod to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that seeks to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The bill, amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make migrants in select categories eligible for citizenship.

(With inputs from IANS)