Lower House okays citizenship bill amid protests in north-east
NEW DELHI/GUWAHATI: The Lok Sabha cleared amendments to the Citizenship Act on Tuesday even as much of the country’s northeast was paralysed by protests against the legislation, which seeks to grant citizenship to religious minorities in neighbouring countries.
The citizenship amendment bill will now need to be cleared by Rajya Sabha, where the government does not have a majority and the Opposition has slammed the legislation as “divisive and flawed”. Union home minister Rajnath Singh, while arguing in favour of the law in Lok Sabha, said the initiative was crucial to protect people who flee persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. “They have no place to go to, except India.”
The law will exclude Muslims migrants.
Referring to the protests in the north-east, Singh tried to allay fears by saying that “the burden of those persecuted migrants will be shared by the whole country. Assam alone should not have to bear the entire burden. Government of India is committed to give all help to the state government and people of Assam.”
Instances of violence were reported from Assam and Tripura as most of the seven northeastern states shut down.
In Tripura, the shutdown was limited to tribal areas.
The government in Tripura imposed a 48-hour ban on SMS and mobile data services after seven people were injured in a clash in Madhabbari.