NEW DELHI: Ahead of introduction of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the MPs got copies of the legislative proposal on Friday so that they have sufficient time to prepare for the debate in both Houses of Parliament next week.
The Bill seeks to amend the third schedule of the Act. It says, “(For) the person belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain or Christian community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, the aggregate period of residence or service of Government of India as required under the clause shall not be less than five years in place of 11 years.”
The Bill also states the cases of illegal immigration would abate upon persons making applications for citizenships under the law once it’s enacted.
The RSS has also seemingly gone on an overdrive to build public opinion in support of CAB. The RSS has long been advocating legislative intervention to address the larger issue of persecution of the religious minorities in the neighbouring Islamic countries, said a Sangh functionary.
The BJP is bracing up for a spirited debate in both Houses of Parliament, aiming to put Opposition Congress in the dock. “The Congress is shifting its stance on granting citizenships to religiously persecuted minorities from the neighbouring Islamic countries. The BJP has studied the 2003 speech of former PM Manmohan Singh when there was a debate in the presence of the then deputy PM L K Advani,” said a senior BJP leader.