VIJAYPUR/ NEW DELHI: Batting for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his government would stand with the children of “Maa Bharti” who were separated from their motherland during 1947 partition while BJP president Amit Shah said the legislation was “very important” for the country.
Modi said the bill will facilitate people who faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
“We have brought in a proposal to amend the citizenship law to help those who had to leave the country during the partition. There are many sons and daughters of Maa Bharti in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who had to suffer during the circumstances which emerged during 1947,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a rally in Jammu and Kashmir’s Vijaypur.
The BJP president, meanwhile, said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will talk to different political parties, including those from the North East, on the bill while asserting it is “very important” for the country.
Shah said if any consensus emerges from Singh’s consultations with different parties then they will certainly move forward with that.
He underlined his party’s commitment to the bill. “We are firm on this,” he said.
“The home minister is talking to all parties from North East and other parties, which want to give suggestion during this session. He is talking to them one by one and has already spoken to some parties,” he said at a party event in Delhi.
Shah’s comments came amid indications from BJP leaders that the government may not push the bill for passage in the ongoing session of Parliament after facing a strong resistance from different parties, including its own allies.
The legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and has been awaiting Rajya Sabha nod. (Agencies)
