Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday condemned the passing of India’s controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, which seeks to give Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, saying that it “violates all norms of international human rights law”.
“We strongly condemn Indian Lok Sabha citizenship legislation which violates all norms of international human rights law and bilateral agreements with Pakistan,” PM Imran tweeted Tuesday morning.
The premier described the move as “part of the RSS Hindu Rashtra design of expansionism propagated by the fascist Modi government.”
We strongly condemn Indian Lok Sabha citizenship legislation which violates all norms of int human rights law & bilateral agreements with Pak. It is part of the RSS “Hindu Rashtra” design of expansionism propagated by the fascist Modi Govt. https://t.co/XkRdBiSp3G
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 10, 2019
The bill named Citizen Amendment Bill (CAB) presented by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed with the majority numbers of 311 members and only 80 members came against it.
The refugees would get citizenship in five-six years — if they are Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis or Christians.
The other minorities in India, including Muslims will not be entertained from the bill.
“In these three countries, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians, followers of these six religions have been tormented,” Amrit Shah, the home minister cum president of BJP party said prior to the amendment.
Meanwhile, the bill will not be applied to the people living in the tribal-dominated regions in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
On the other hand, many student federations along with opposition parties came against the bill and vowed that the controversial bill will be challenged in the Supreme Court.
“We will fight and oppose the bill till the last drop of our blood,” All Assam Students’ Union advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya told Reuters.
The opposition parties raised questions that if Indian government have such many resources then why not they would welcome Tamils from Srilanka, Muslims from Myanmar and China — even the allies of BJP also opposed the controversial bill, like the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Bahujan Samaj Party and Aam Aadmi Party, which have supported the government in parliament on the last few Bills.
“This is like another partition” Asaduddin Owaisi, a member from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, told the parliament.
Although at the lower house (Lok Sabha) the bill got passed, if the bill will be challenged in the upper house (Rajya Sabha), then the final decision would be taken in a joint session of both the houses.
It is to recall, this is the third bill of its sort proposed against minorities during recent times in India, under Prime Minister Modi led government —first in August 5 which reprimanded the unique status of Kashmir, the only Muslim dominant state in India, then in August 31, which focus on the individuals of Assam to deliver proof that either they or their ancestors were in Assam on or before March 24, 1971.
Every single such individual who didn’t deliver proof was placed in refugee camps and the tribal people were compelled to shift to Bangladesh — which the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Wajid likewise indicated concern when a telephonic discussion took place with President Arif Alvi, earlier.
