GUWAHATI: Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 paving the way for grant of Indian citizenship to people from certain persecuted minority commnunities from neighbouring Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh even as the bandh called against the Bill by North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) stalled life in most part of the region.
In view of the strong protest in Assam against the Bill, the Home Minister while moving the Bill in Lok Sabha dispelled the misgivings about Citizenship Amendment Act.
“The Act will also provide relief to persecuted migrants who have come through western borders of the country to States like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and other States,” he said
The Bill will apply to all States and Union Territories of the Country. The beneficiaries of Citizenship Amendment Bill can reside in any state of the country.
“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,” Singh said.
The bill proposes to grant minority (non-Muslim) immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who have entered India before December 31, 2014 Indian citizenship.
The Bill aims to grant citizenship to six identified minority communities – Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis – from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who came to India before 31st December, 2014.
Migrants from these communities were earlier given protection against legal action in years 2015 & 2016. Long term visa provision was made for them.
The proposed amendment will make these persecuted migrants eligible to apply for Indian citizenship which will be given to them only after due scrutiny and recommendation of district authorities and the State Government.
The minimum residency period for citizenship to these migrants is being reduced from existing 12 years under the present law to 7 years.
Earlier, during the discussion on the Bill , Congress and TMC MPs walked out of the Lok Sabha demanding to make the bill more secular.