Amit Shah Tables CAB in Rajya Sabha, Says Concerns of NE Will Be Addressed

Amid massive outrage, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has introduced the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday afternoon.

The much-debated legislation was cleared by the Lok Sabha on Monday. The Bill garnered 311 votes in favour and 80 against.

Fierce protests have erupted in northeastern states, especially Assam against the bill, which seeks to grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has said that the party is confident of its passage in the Upper House. However, unlike Lok Sabha, where it had an overwhelming majority, it will have to rely on its NDA allies and backing from non-allied parties such as the BJD, AIADMK, YSR Congress Party, TRS, and two Independents to see the Bill through in the Upper House.

With a present strength of 240, the majority mark in the Rajya Sabha is 121 which implies that the government would require 121 votes in favor of the Bill to make the Bill a law. The NDA has 116 members and is banking on the support of 14 others, taking its numbers to 130.

The Trinamool Congress sought to adjourn the discussion on the Bill saying that the bill is defective. However, the Rajya Sabha Chairman rejects TMC's motion to adjourn the house.

As Shah tabled the Bill, He assured to address concerns of the Northeastern states and said, “People are accusing us that we are practicing vote bank politics with the introduction of this bill....but I want to point out that we had brought forward this bill before 2019 Lok Sabha elections.”

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians fleeing persecution from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

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