Rajya Sabha passes Citizenship Amendment Bill

21:03 December 11

House adjourned

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am on 12th December 2019.

20:46 December 11

Citizenship Amendment Bill passed in Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha has passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with 125 votes in favour and 105 against it.

The Bill seeks to give citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

It had been tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Home Minister Amit Shah earlier in the day.

The Lok Sabha had already passed the Bill.

The Bill was passed with a majority of 311 votes against 80 votes in the Lok Sabha where 391 members were present and voting. It seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees who came from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. 

20:40 December 11

Shiv Sena backs out from voting on CAB

20:08 December 11

Voting on Amendments in the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 is underway in Rajya Sabha

20:04 December 11

Citizenship Amendment Bill, won't go to the Select Committee

19:57 December 11

Voting on sending Citizenship Amendment Bill to Select Committee begins in Rajya Sabha

19:36 December 11

Congress leaders speaking like Pak leaders on CAB: Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah compared Congress party leaders to leaders from Pakistan. MPs in the Rajya Sabha opposed drawn parallels.

19:23 December 11

Congress gave partition to India: Amit Shah

Home Minister attacked the Congress with the question that 'why did it accept Jinnah's demand for Partition?'

19:16 December 11

What changed Shiv Sena's stand on CAB overnight? Questions Shah

19:04 December 11

Ruckus in House over Amit Shah's statement

Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O Brien and Sukhendu Shekhar Roy raise objections against Amit Shah's statement consisting of the name of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

They claimed that the Home Minister's statement was misleading.

18:49 December 11

Shah responds to Ghulam Nabi, says lack of records due to refugees living as illegal occupants in India

Amit Shah addressed opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's argument that the Centre doesn't have statistics on the number of persecuted minorities in the three countries.

He said that there are no stats because refugees are living as illegal occupants in those countries because of Congress party.

18:35 December 11

Home Minister responds to questions on exclusion of Muslims from CAB

He said that there is no appreciation of the fact people from 6 religions have been included. But, the focus is only on why Muslims are not included.

"Can followers of Islam in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan be called minority? No. When the religion of the State is Islam, then, chances of persecution of Muslims is lesser," Shah added.

18:34 December 11

Ravi Shankar Prasad says CAB is Constitutional 

Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "The bill has been assessed by the Ministry of Law and has been found to be constitutional.

18:26 December 11

There would have been no need of CAB, if India was not partitioned in the first place: Amit Shah

18:06 December 11

Government has no stats on religious persecutions: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Slamming the Centre for claiming that there have been thousands of religious persecutions in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, leader of opposition Ghulam Navi Azad said that the government does not have stats for any of its claims. 

"You have no statistics on persecutions, and the Home Minister is claiming that thousands of such people are there. How many of the refugees have applied?" he questioned.

17:29 December 11

CAB spreads the feeling of hatred among communities living in harmony for so long: Wansuk Syiem

INC Meghalaya opposed the Bill saying the northeastern region has been living in peace for many years which the CAB is trying to destroy not. 

She further asserted that the amended provisions in the Bill are a lollipop for Meghalaya that would not save it from becoming a slum in the near future. 

17:21 December 11

The Citizenship Amendment Bill differs from NRC. BJD supports the Bill with the amendment to include Sri Lanka in its provisions," said BJP MP Sasmit Patra. 

He went on to say that this bill should not be mixed with NRC. 

Asking the centre for clarification, the MP said that several political parties are trying to spread rumours about the Bill among the Muslim community in the coutry.

"It is the moral responsibility of the government to clarify the provisions of the Bill to the Muslim population," he added.

17:12 December 11

CAB targets Muslim brothers of our country: D Kupendra Reddy

JD(S) MP D Kupendra Reddy said that the CAB is against the value of the Indian Constitution and targets the Muslim population of the country.

"The amendments in CAB seek to violate Article 14 of the Constitution and are dividing the country on the basis of religion," Reddy said. 

17:07 December 11

YSRCP supports CAB, asks for amendments

YSRCP MP V Vijaysai Reddy stood in support of CAB, suggesting certain possible amendments to the Home Minister. 

17:05 December 11

Idea of India is under attack today: Ritabrata Banerjee on CAB

Independent leader Ritabrata Banerjee quoted and explained the second stanza of India's National Anthem, adding that CAB stands against the idea of the India mentioned in our National Anthem. 

16:52 December 11

CAB is a sword hanging on the head of secular India: CPI Kerala

CPI MP Binoy Viswam compared the Citizenship Amendment Bill to a sword hanging on the head of Secular India while the people constantly live with the fear that it may fall anytime.

'The number one threat within the country is Muslims, does the Home Minister stand with this view?" the leader questioned.

16:41 December 11

AAP opposes CAB, says it is against the ideas of various great leaders

Opposing the CAB in Rajya Sabha, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said that it stands against the Constitution and the Preamble of India, as well as against the values of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh.

He targeted the government asking it why it did nothing for those Indians in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh who were declared illegal immigrants after the implementation of NRC. 

He added that there is no point in worrying about the Hindus living in other countries.  

16:35 December 11

NPF supports CAB

MP KG Kenye states why he stands in support of CAB, says the bill is not about religion. 

He added that CAB is about the illegal immigrants who have entered their region and are trying to overpower the native population there. 

16:32 December 11

CAB should be thrown into the Bay of Bengal: Vaiko

16:18 December 11

CAB sheer violation of the spirit of Constitution: Abdul Wahab

IUML MP Abdul Wahab asserted that India as a country cherishes all values, it cannot accept this Bill. He said that the Bill if passed, will turn many human beings into bare bodies without any rights.

CAB is the violation of the spirit of the Indian Constitution, the leader said.  

16:10 December 11

CAB against the spirit of Article 371F: Sikkim MP 

We oppose this Bill as it has the potential to dilute Article 371F, Sikkim MP Hishey Lachungpa said in the Rajya Sabha.

The MP said that the government's assurance on all provisions of 371F not being diluted by CAB is welcomed by people of Sikkim, adding that the same assurance should be given in written.  

15:46 December 11

Rise above politics, do not promote two-nation theory: Kapil Sibal

Congress MP Kapil Sibbal slammed the centre of doing politics in the name of Citizenship Amendment Bill.

He said that the government should rise above politics. 

The MP referred to CAB as a step towards changing the foundation of the Indian Constitution.

"It is because of these measures that the citizens of India have lost faith in the present government, he added. The Bill is historical as the government is about to change the foundation of the Constitution," it is changing our history.

15:23 December 11

Citizenship bill a great blunder: RJD 

RJD MP, prof Manoj Kumar Jha said that bill is against the constitution and urged Home Minister to remove the religious clause in the bill as suggested by the Joint Parliamentary Committee. He also said that all kinds of persecutions are not included in the bill moved in the Rajya Sabha. 

"This bill is against the tenants of the Indian Constitution," Jha said. 
 

15:17 December 11

BSP oppose CAB, AIADMK extend their support

Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, in the Upper House on Wednesday saying that the Bill is a ray of hope for crores of minorities living in a very critical situation in three neighbouring countries who all came to India. The Bill is already passed from the Lok Sabha.
 

14:52 December 11

Chidambaram questions exclusion, inclusion method used to draft the bill

Congress leader P Chidambaram said that parliamentarians are asked to do something which is unconstitutional.

"How do you group three countries? How do you identify only six religious groups? Why exclude Sri Lankan Hindus and Bhutanese Christians?" Chidambaram questioned.

"Exclusionary-Inclusionary method is illogical," said Chidambaram. 
 

14:28 December 11

JD(U) supports the bill, DMK, TRS oppose

During the course of discussion, Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) extend their support to the Citizenship Amendment bill. Meanwhile, parties like TRS, CPI(M) and DMK strongly oppose the bill.

TRS MP K Keshava Rao termed the bill as anti-Muslim while the JD(U) moves two amendments to mention neighbouring countries including Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said that Home Minister cherry picked countries based on religion and the bill is trying to polarise the society. 
 

13:25 December 11

There will be a people's movement against the CAB: Derek O'Brien

TMC MP said that there will be a people's movement against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. "The bill is drawn from the Nazi copybook," O'Brien further said.

TMC MP compares Nazi Concentration camps with 'detention centres' cropping up after the Assam NRC. He further states that 'Madagascar plan' to deport jews is similar to the deportation of illegal immigrants.

"Jews were referred to as rats. Now, we are talking in terms of termites. These terms are being used by Prime Minister and Home Minister," he said. 
 

13:14 December 11

Bill does not harm equality: JP Nadda

"CAB will not harm right to equality in any manner. It is a bill to protect the minorities fleeing persecution from our neighbouring countries. Minorities have prospered in India," JP Nadda said. 
 

12:58 December 11

Send CAB to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny: Congress

"I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any,” Anand Sharma quotes Mahatma Gandhi and urges Home Minister to send the bill for further scrutiny to a parliamentary committee.
 

12:52 December 11

"I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation," Congress MP Anand Sharma quotes Swami Vivekananda to put forward the India's tolerance towards all religion. 

12:34 December 11

Bill is an assault on the republic of India: Anand Sharma

"The Citizenship(Amendment) Bill is against our constitution, our republic, the very soul of India. The bill is divisive in nature its discriminatory and fails all test of morality. It is against the essence of equality, fraternity and secularism mentioned in the preamble," said INC MP Anand Sharma. 

Speaking on the two-nation theory, Sharma said that it was Veer Savarkar who devised the two-nation theory based on religion. "Other stakeholders including Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha pushed for two separate nations," he said.

12:23 December 11

Will form a committee on clause 6: Shah

"No committee was formed based on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord to protect culture, language, political representation and ethos of Assam," Amit Shah said. 

"I urge the AASU to submit a report on clause 6 to the central government," shah said. 
 

12:14 December 11

Will address the concerns of NE: Amit Shah

"Concerns regarding the NorthEast will be addressed. Will provide citizenship to persecuted minorities from the countries- Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, at the same time will protect the identity, culture and language of the NE," Shah said. 

 

12:02 December 11

Discussion begins on CAB in the house. Several MPs move amendments. 

"There is no reasonable nexus in the bill," said TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy on the 'reasonable' ground claimed by the Home Minister to give citizenship based on religion. 

11:42 December 11

House adjourned following protest by Shiv Sena, TRS MPs over non-payment of GST dues to the states.

11:16 December 11

Opposition hits out at BJP; says CAB taken out of Nazi playbook

New Delhi:Union Home Minister Amit Shah will move the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Bill, which is an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955 and was passed by the Lok Sabha, will come up for consideration and passing.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs by Anand Sharma, Manish Gupta and Rakesh Sinha will table report on the working conditions in non-border guarding Central Armed Police Forces (Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and National Security Guard).

It also includes the action taken by Government on the recommendations/observations on working conditions in Border Guarding Forces (Assam Rifles, Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Border Security Force); and'the Management of Worsening Traffic Situation in Delhi.

The Upper House members Kahkashan Perweena and Vandana Chavan of the committee on empowerment of women will table the final action taken by the Government on the
recommendations contained in the tenth report (Sixteenth Lok Sabha) of the Committee on Empowerment of Women (2016-2017) on the subject of 'women in detention and access to justice'

The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on the assessment of environmental impact due to mining activities and its mitigation in Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries for the year ended March 2018 will be tabled by Union Minister Prahlad Joshi.

Union Minister Anurag Singh Tomar will lay on the table, under clause (1) of Article 151 of the Constitution, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.

The Standing Committee on Commerce will present reports on: 'Export of Organic Products: Challenges and Opportunities'; and 151st report on action taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations of the Committee contained in its 146th Report on 'Impact of Banking Misappropriation on Trade and Industry'.

Union Minister Nityanand Rai to lay on table the proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution issued by the President, on the November 23 revoking the Proclamation issued by him on the November 12 in relation to the Maharashtra, with effect from the November 23 and report of the Governor of Maharashtra, dated November 23 to the President, recommending the issue of the above-said Proclamation.

The List of Business also includes papers to be tabled by several ministers.

Read: Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to be tabled in RS today at 2 pm