The Narendra Modi government on Monday tabled the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha amidst an uproar from Opposition parties who called it anti-minority and contrary to the spirit of the Constitution.
The NDA, which has a brute majority in Lok Sabha, expects to have a smooth passage of the bill in the lower House. However, it will face a challenge when the Bill will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha later in the week.
What is the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill?
Who are illegal migrants?
According to the Citizenship Act, 1955, illegal migrants in Indian cannot get citizenship. The law says all those who have entered India without valid travel documents like passports and visas or have come to India with valid documents but stay here longer than the period mentioned therein are considered illegal migrants.
What makes the bill contentious?
Why is the Centre bringing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill?
At a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party last week, Defence minister Rajnath Singh clarified that the bill was the top priority of the government as it was an election promise of the BJP. "Minorities in the neighbouring theocratic countries have been subjected to continuous persecutions, which forced them to seek asylum in India. Giving citizenship to six minorities will be yet another push from the Modi government to the spirit of ‘sarva dharma sambhav’,” Singh said.
Is the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in any way connected to the National Register of Citizens (NRC)?
Assam, which implemented the NRC, targeted only illegal immigrants. Unlike the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which is based on faiths, NRC seeks people to prove that either they or their ancestors were residing in Assam on or before March 24, 1971.