NEW DELHI: The government will move the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after failing to do it on Tuesday as the upper House was adjourned.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will move the bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha in January, for consideration and also to pass it.
The session of the upper House was adjourned after Samajwadi Party members stalled the proceedings to protest against party leader and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav being stopped from flying to Allahabad from Lucknow at the airport.
The opposition parties have agreed only to discuss the motion of thanks to the President and the Budget, but in the prevailing situation even that seems uncertain.
On the CAB, the government had agreed to take out the North East from its purview, but even then the opposition did not agree to let it be passed in the House which is mandatory. Even in the given situation, it might happen that the government may only table the bill and leave it there for the next session since elections to the Lok Sabha are likely to be declared next month.
The government is on the back foot since the NDA is in minority in the Rajya Sabha. Several of its allies have openly gone against the bill and there is vehement
opposition from within especially from the members from North East.
Some neutral parties who earlier gave hints of helping the bill to pass by remaining absent are now in no mood to oblige the government considering the latest situation and fear of losing vote bank.
The government circulated the list of business of the House quite late on Monday night which said that Home Minister will introduce and pass the bill after the question hour and special mention. But the House was adjourned till lunch and then for the whole day amid vehement protest from Samajwadi Party members who were demanding apology from the UP Chief Minister over the goof.
The government has only one day left since the Rajya Sabha is going to be prorogued after its sitting on Wednesday. Considering the tense situation the bill is unlikely to be tabled even on Wednesday, senior members said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and others continued to meet leaders of other parties to put pressure on the government not to insist on passing the bill. Many other political parties and student organisations from the North East are camping in the national capital to garner support in their attempt to block the vexed bill.
Members of both houses of Parliament, including Wansuk Syiem from Meghalaya, had protested against the bill within the Parliament complex recently. They also criticised the bill whenever they got any chance in either House.
In case of a Constitution amendment bill, Rajya Sabha is at par with Lok Sabha. Such a bill has to be approved by both houses separately and with special majority. There can also be no “joint sitting” of two houses in case of a deadlock over a Constitution amendment bill.
If CAB is not passed in the Rajya Sabha, it will die a natural death. The bill has to be tabled afresh, which is next to impossible when parliament is in its last session before the general elections.
