NEW DELHI: As the Centre plans to bring the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill during ongoing winter session of Parliament, the Opposition has taken it up with Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu to ensure that the government does not “spring surprises” by bringing it without following laid procedures.
The opposition raised the matter during the business advisory committee meeting held to discuss the agenda for next week. “The opposition told him that he should talk to the government to avoid springing surprises with respect to CAB. The chair has told the government that parliamentary procedures be followed while introducing Bills,” said an opposition leader.
The leader cited that the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 was tabled in Rajya Sabha without even circulating the Bill to members in the upper house. “The Bill was brought even without cabinet clearance,” the leader added.
The Centre has been pushing for the Bill while the opposition has expressed reservations. There has been strong opposition in Assam and other Northeastern states against the Bill. PM Narendra Modi had announced that the Bill is an “atonement of the wrong that was done during India’s partition. India will safeguard all who had been victims of the Partition”. The TMC has written to Naidu accusing Home Minister Amit Shah of misleading the House by stating that all parties have supported the Bill.
What’s CAB?
The Bill provides for Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.