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Wed, 11 December 2019
Jamiat to challenge citizenship bill in SC
Timeline Refresh
23:10 Jamiat to challenge citizenship bill in SC
Asserting that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is against the basic structure of the Constitution, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Wednesday said it will challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court.
Its reaction came minutes after the Rajya Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on Monday.
Terming the passing of the Bill in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha a 'tragedy', Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani said the bill is against the basic structure of the Indian Constitution and the Jamiat will challenge it in Supreme Court.
Madani said that the Jamiat will challenge it in the court because the legislature has not done its job honestly.
"Now the judiciary can make a better decision on it. Advocates have been consulted in this regard and a petition is being drafted," he said in a statement. -- PTI
22:43 Pak Hindu family names newborn after CAB
A Pakistani Hindu family residing in a resettlement colony in the national capital on Wednesday named their newborn daughter 'Nagrikta', means citizenship, as Parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
Her grandmother Meera Das (40) told PTI that the baby was born on Monday and the family decided to name her 'Nagrikta' anticipating the bill would clear the Rajya Sabha hurdle.
Das herself observed a fast praying for the passage of the bill in the Lower House.
The family left their home in Pakistan's Hyderabad and came to India in 2011. The makeshift tents and unplastered walls with metal roofs in north Delhi's Majnu ka Tila area are home to about 750 Pakistani Hindus who fled the neighbouring country to seek refuge in New Delhi.
Many others live in resettlement colonies in Rohini Sector 9 and 11, Adarsh Nagar and near the Signature Bridge.
The bill seeks to give Indian nationality to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014 facing persecution. -- PTI
22:17 We're happy Sena did not vote in favour of CAB: Chidambaram
The Congress is happy that the Shiv Sena did not vote in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, senior party leader P Chidambaram said on Wednesday.
The Shiv Sena abstained from voting on the contentious citizenship bill in Rajya Sabha as the government did not give satisfactory answers to queries raised by the party, its Upper House member Anil Desai said.
The Shiv Sena, which voted in favour of the controversial Bill in Lok Sabha, opposed it in Rajya Sabha, saying the draft law should have been debated on the basis of 'humanity not religion'.
Asked about the change in Sena's stand, Chidambaram said, "We are certainly happy that the Shiv Sena did not vote in favour of the Bill."
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed by Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Lok Sabha cleared the Bill on Monday. -- PTI
22:14 Modi hails RS passing CAB; dark day, says Sonia
As the Rajya Sabha passes Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Prime Minister Narednra Modi tweets, 'A landmark day for India and our nation's ethos of compassion and brotherhood!
'Glad that CAB 2019 has been passed in Rajya Sabha. Gratitude to all MPs who voted in favour of Bill. It'll alleviate suffering of many who faced persecution for years.'
Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, 'As the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 passes in the Parliament, the dreams of crores of deprived and victimised people has come true today.
'Grateful to PM Narendra Modi ji for his resolve to ensure dignity and safety for these affected people.'
Meanwhile, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 'marks the victory of narrow-minded and bigoted forces over India's pluralism'.
"Today marks a dark day in the constitutional history of India," she said.
21:17 Rajya Sabha votes 125-105 in favour of CAB
JUST IN: Rajya Sabha passes Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Division of votes:
AYES: 125
NOES: 105
ABST: 00
20:37 Shiv Sena boycotts voting on citizenship bill
JUST IN: Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP, on being asked if they have boycotted the voting on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, "Yes, Shiv Sena has boycotted the voting." -- ANI
20:22
JUST IN: Indian Army issues clarification that the two columns deployed in Tripura are troops of Assam Rifles and not Indian Army. -- ANI
20:14 RS votes against sending CAB to select panel
JUST IN: Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 will not be sent to select committee of the Rajya Sabha.
The Rajya Sabha negated the motion for sending the bill to select committee. 124 members voted against it while 99 members voted in its favour.
The motion was moved by Communist Party of India-Marxist MP K K Ragesh. -- ANI
19:38 This bill is not anti-Muslim: Shah on CAB
Shah's reply to debate in Rajya Sabha continues:
On question of Sri Lankan Tamils are not included in this Bill, he said, "8-9 lakh Tamils from Sri Lanka were given Indian citizenship in past."
Shiv Sena supported citizenship bill in Lok Sabha, what changed overnight that they are now opposing it, asked Shah.
He assured Sikkim that it will 'continue to enjoy rights under Article 371, there will be no dilution'.
This bill is to give citizenship, not to take away citizenship; Citizenship of Indian Muslims not being taken away, Shah said, assuring the minorities.
Neither citizenship bill, nor triple talaq bill nor bill scrapping Article 370 are anti-Muslim, said Shah in Rajya Sabha. -- PTI
On question of Sri Lankan Tamils are not included in this Bill, he said, "8-9 lakh Tamils from Sri Lanka were given Indian citizenship in past."
Shiv Sena supported citizenship bill in Lok Sabha, what changed overnight that they are now opposing it, asked Shah.
He assured Sikkim that it will 'continue to enjoy rights under Article 371, there will be no dilution'.
This bill is to give citizenship, not to take away citizenship; Citizenship of Indian Muslims not being taken away, Shah said, assuring the minorities.
Neither citizenship bill, nor triple talaq bill nor bill scrapping Article 370 are anti-Muslim, said Shah in Rajya Sabha. -- PTI
19:32 Woman student held in Chinmayanand case released
The 23-year-old law student, arrested for allegedly trying to extort Rs 5 crore from the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Swami Chinmayanand, whom she had accused of sexually exploiting her, was released from the jail in Shahjahanpur on Wednesday.
The law student was released a week after securing bail from the Allahabad high court in the extortion case lodged against her and her three male friends.
"The girl has been handed over to her father after a release order from Chief Judicial Magistrate Omveer reached the jail. She was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court on December 4," Jailor Rajesh Kumar Rai told PTI.
The 23-year-old woman and her three friends were booked on Chinmayanand's complaint that they had demanded Rs 5 crore from him.
The former Union minister had alleged that they had threatened to make public some video clips that showed him getting massage from the woman law student, who was later arrested on September 25.
Chinmayanand, whose trust runs the Shahjahanpur Law College where the woman studied, was arrested under section 376 C of the Indian Penal Code and continues to be in judicial custody. -- PTI
19:16 CAB won't snatch citizenship of anyone: Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah replies to debate in Rajya Sabha on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019:
"Citizenship Bill necessitated because of partition of country. Partition on basis of religion was biggest mistake. Issue arising out of it not resolved by subsequent governments," he said.
"Law made in past to address problems of Tamils coming from Sri Lanka; now law being made to address problem from three other nations," Shah said.
"Muslims not included for giving citizenship because proposed law is for persecuted minorities in Pak, Bangladesh, Afghanistan.
"Present laws have provision for giving citizenship to persecuted Muslims; 566 Muslims given Indian citizenship.
"Equality guaranteed in Article 14 does not prohibit law based on reasonable classification.
"13,000 Hindus, Sikhs migrants from Pakistan given relief and citizenship during Congress rule.
"Citizenship bill not to snatch anyone's Indian citizenship; Muslims have no need to fear or worry," the home minister said. -- PTI
"Present laws have provision for giving citizenship to persecuted Muslims; 566 Muslims given Indian citizenship.
"Equality guaranteed in Article 14 does not prohibit law based on reasonable classification.
"13,000 Hindus, Sikhs migrants from Pakistan given relief and citizenship during Congress rule.
"Citizenship bill not to snatch anyone's Indian citizenship; Muslims have no need to fear or worry," the home minister said. -- PTI
18:42 CM Sonowal stuck at Guwahati airport
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was stuck at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International airport in Guwahati for sometime on Wednesday amidst large scale protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the streets of the city.
Sources in the chief minister's office confirmed that Sonowal was stuck at the airport after he returned from Tezpur in a helicopter.
When asked if this was due to the protests in which the roads were blocked by agitating students, the sources curtly said, "Perhaps".
Sonowal's convoy later reached the Brahmaputra state guesthouse in the city where he resides, the sources added. Student organsiations in Assam are opposing the CAB seeks to provide Indian citizenship to minorities who have been victims of religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and have come to the country till December 31, 2014. -- PTI
18:24 People flee from houses in Uri claiming heavy shelling by Pak
Fifteen people belonging to three families on Wednesday fled their houses in Silikote area in Kashmir's Uri sector, claiming there was intense shelling from across the LoC by Pakistani troops, officials said.
Officials at the headquarter of Army's 15 Corps, which guards the LoC in Kashmir valley, said they had no information about ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Uri sector.
An official at the camp told PTI, "We have received 15 people from Silikote at the makeshift camp in Uri town this morning."
He said the residents of Silikote claimed that there was intense shelling by Pakistani troops from across the Line of Control during Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.
"They also reported that several houses were damaged in the shelling," he said, adding that the claims of the residents who had taken shelter at the camp were being verified by officials. -- PTI
17:32 Army deployed in Tripura; on standby in Assam
Two Army columns have been deployed in Tripura while two are on standby in Assam in view of the situation there over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The Army said two columns have been deployed in Tripura while two columns are on standby and are ready for deployment if required.
One column, the requisition for which was received from DC Radhanagar has been deployed in general area Kanchanpur while a second column has been deployed in Manu.
A third column requisitioned at Bongaigaon, Assam is on standby about a kilometre short of the area of deployment and will be deployed if required.
One more column is on standby in Assam's Dibrugarh to deal with the situation.
The approx strength of one column is about 70 personnel of all ranks. Field Commanders and Army Headquarters are monitoring the situation closely.
Earlier, it was reported that the Central government has started withdrawing paramilitary forces from Jammu and Kashmir after the law and order situation improves in the Valley.
10 companies of the Central Reserve Police Forces have been moved back from Jammu and Kashmir to Assam.
Assam Police on Wednesday resorted to lathi-charge on protesters in Dibrugarh city while they were demonstrating against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, was passed with a majority of 311 votes against 80 votes in Lok Sabha where 391 members were present and voting.
The bill has been tabled in Rajya Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday.
It seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees who came from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. -- ANI
17:05 Sensex spurts over 170 points in choppy trade
The BSE benchmark Sensex rose over 170 points to close at 40,412 on Wednesday, helped by fag-end buying mainly in auto, IT and oil & gas stocks amid easing crude prices.
After swinging nearly 330 points, the index finished 172.69 points or 0.43 per cent higher at 40,412.57. Similarly, the 50-scrip NSE Nifty appreciated 53.35 points or 0.45 per cent to close at 11,910.15.
In the Sensex kitty, NTPC was the top gainer, spurting 2.77 per cent, followed by ONGC, Tech Mahindra, Kotak Bank, TCS, Asian Paints, IndusInd Bank and Tata Motors, which gained up to 2.28 per cent. On the other hand, Yes Bank topped the laggard's list for the second straight day, plunging 15.33 per cent. Vedanta, Hero MotoCorp, L&T, Bharti Airtel and HUL also tumbled up to 1.63 per cent. -- PTI
16:50 PM gets clean chit in 2002 post-Godhra riots
And then this.
The Nanavati-Mehta Commission Report on the post-Godhra riots, which was tabled in the Gujarat assembly on Wednesday, has given a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Talking to media persons, Gujarat Home Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja said: "Allegations were made on Narendra Modi that he visited Godhra without informing anyone. This allegation has stood false in the report of the commission. It was not a secret visit nor a visit to destroy the evidence."
The minister said that it was not necessary for Modi, who was then the Gujarat Chief Minister, to inform all the high officers of the state about his visit to Godhra.
"The concerned officers were informed about his visit and they had made necessary arrangements for that visit. It was not a secret meeting," he added.
Meanwhile, on allegations of disturbance of evidence in the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express, the report said: "There is no material to show that the Chief Minister, by entering the burnt coach S6, disturbed any evidence and that it was done with some ulterior motive."
An allegation was made by former IPS Shreekumar in which he claimed that there was a meeting held at Modi's residence on February 27, 2002 night. In the meeting, the then Chief Minister directed the police and the state administration to refrain from resorting to any strict action and to permit the majority community to express their anger and anguish against the minority community.
On these allegations, the commission reported: "Shreekumar has not claimed that he was present in the said meeting. While officers present in the meeting have not supported this version."
The report also quoted PM Modi as saying: "I was personally reviewing the situation continuously by holding review meetings of the senior government and police officials responsible for maintaining law and order to ensure that normalcy is restored."
The first part of the report was submitted in 2008 by the Nanavati-Mehta commission. It covered the Godhra train burning incident in which it had concluded that burning of the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express near Godhra Railway Station was a "planned conspiracy." The first part also gave clean chit to then Chief Minister Modi. -- ANI
Image: A protest against then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
16:43 Party manifesto can't override Constitution: Anand Sharma
Attacking the BJP over the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Anand Sharma on Wednesday said the manifesto of any political party cannot be above the Constitution of the country. Starting the debate in the Upper House of Parliament, the deputy leader of opposition termed the controversial bill "divisive, discriminatory" and against the fundamentals of the Indian Constitution.
While replying to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who tabled the bill in the House, Sharma said that though it was part of BJP's 2019 manifesto, it cannot override the principles of the Indian Constitution.
"Every political party has a right to have its own manifesto. But the manifesto of any political party cannot be above the Constitution of this country," he said. Sharma said there are provisions in the Constitution in Article 6 and many people have applied for citizenship.
Taking a dig at the home minister, the Congress leader said, "You are saying this is a historic bill, but how it will be evaluated in history, this you get to know later." Sharma also highlighted the haste with which the government was bringing in the bill.
"Jaldbaazi kyun (Why are you in a hurry). You should have referred it to a standing committee of Parliament and introduced in the next session," he said. "We are opposing it and the reason for that is not political, but constitutional and moral. I am convinced that the bill which you have brought is an assault on the foundational values of our Constitution," he said, adding that "it hurts the soul of Republic of India" and fails the "morality" test.
Terming it "divisive and discriminatory", Sharma said the citizenship amendment bill was against the preamble of the Constitution which talks about "liberty, equality and secularism". Sharma said that for centuries India had granted asylum to displaced people.
It granted asylum even after Independence to the people from countries like Sri Lanka, Uganda, but religion was never a criteria for it, he said. "The reason is political and you know that there is already a provision to grant citizenship to those who are suffering," he said.
Sharma also opposed the allegation in the Lower House that his party was responsible for the division of the country in 1947. He said it was the Hindu Mahasabha led by Vinayak Savarkar who first talked about the two-nation theory and division of India and a year later Muslim League also adopted it. -- PTI
16:11 US body's view on Shah attack on our sovereignty: BJP MP
A BJP member in Lok Sabha on Wednesday slammed a federal US commission's call for sanctions against Home Minister Amit Shah over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as an attack on India's sovereignty and asked all parties to come together to send a "stern message" against this.
Raising the issue a day after a federal US commission on international religious freedom sought sanctions against Shah and other principal Indian leadership if the bill with the "religious criterion" is passed by Parliament, Nishikant Dubey said the matter was not about one party.
The home minister is working for the country's unity, security and integrity and the US committee's move is an attack on our sovereignty, he said. -- PTI
16:02 Occupy Assam: Tens of thousands protest over CAB
Tens of thousands of protesters against CAB descended on the streets of Assam on Wednesday, clashing with police and plunging the state into chaos of a magnitude unseen since the violent 6-year movement by students that ended with the signing of the Assam accord. Though no party or student body has called a shutdown, protesters, a majority of them students, fought pitched battles with security forces in the restive state, including in front of the secretariat, the seat of the BJP government. Police fired tear gas shells and baton-charged protesters, who fought back. Assam smouldered with protests rocking several parts of the state on the day the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is being hotly debated in the Rajya Sabha after its passage by the Lok Sabha. According to student leaders who went live on national TV, many agitators were injured in police action in front of the secretariat. All senior civil and police officials were incommunicado but, according to unofficial accounts, hundreds of protesters have been detained in Guwahati and other places like Dibrugarh and Jorhat.
15:43 We don't divide people in Bengal: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said unity in diversity is the ethos of the state and people here are not divided on the basis of caste, creed and religion.
Her statement came when the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is being debated in Rajya Sabha. The contentious Bill that seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
"Unity in diversity is the soul of the state and we don't divide people on the basis of caste, creed and religion. We believe in staying together. We are one family and no one staying here can say that he is deprived," Banerjee said at the Bengal Business Conclave held in this coastal town.
The conclave is being attended by delegates from 28 countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, the UK, Poland, the US, Australia, Thailand, Russia, Italy and China. Industrialists like Harsh Neotia, Y K Modi, Rudra Chatterjee, Mayank Jalan, Sanjay Budhia and others are attending the conclave.
Banerjee said West Bengal is better placed than many other states in many macro-economic parameters like GDP growth, unemployment rate, industry growth and poverty alleviation. She said the state has land use policy, land bank, tourism policy, IT policy and tea tourism policy. -- PTI
15:36 Gang-rape victim fears of 'Unnao-like' fate
A 16-year-old gang-rape victim in Fatehpur, UP, has complained to senior police officers that she is being threatened by the accused with a "Unnao like" fate if she did not withdraw the case against them.
"The victim had met ASP on Tuesday and claimed she was threatened with a 'Unnao like' fate if she did not compromise with the accused," said Jafarganj Circle Officer Shripal Yadav. "We are probing the matter. If it is proved that the victim was threatened, a fresh case will be registered against the accused," he added.
The teenaged girl was allegedly abducted and raped by four men last month in a village in Ghazipur near here. After registering the FIR at the Ghazipur police station, police arrested the main accused Pradeep, but three others are still absconding.
"We are trying to arrest the remaining three. Searches are on to nab them," the circle officer added. The gang-rape victim alleged that all the four accused belong to her village and their family members are threatening her.
A 23-year-old rape victim from Unnao was allegedly set on fire on Dec 5 by five men, including the two who were accused of raping her, while she was on her way to attend the court hearing. The victim died the next day during treatment at Safdarjunj Hospital in New Delhi. All five men, who set the victim ablaze, were arrested soon after they committed the crime. -- PTI
Image: A 23-year-old rape victim from Unnao was set on fire on Dec 5 by five men. She suffered 90 per cent burns and died a day on.
15:32 NRC: Mosques in K'taka appeal to keep documents updated
Apparently in anticipation of nation-wide roll out of NRC (National Register of Citizens), mosques in Karnataka have given a call to Muslims to keep their documents up-to-date. Imams and Moulvis have been appealing them to set right their documents if there are any anomalies in them.
The Jamia Masjid in Bengaluru even opened a 'Citizen Centre' three months ago to assist people to keep their documents ready and help in addressing the anomalies, if any.
"It is essential for every citizen of India to keep their documents up to date. Keeping that in view, an effort has been made through the Jamia Masjid where we are asking Muslims to properly maintain their records," Maqsood Imran, the Imam of Jamia Masjid in Bengaluru, told PTI on Wednesday.
"We have also set up in the Jamia Masjid 'CitizensCentre where we are asking people to keep certain documentsready and ensure that they don't bear any mistakes," he added. The Imam said sometimes there are differences in the names in Aadhaar, PAN Card, Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and other documents. These anomalies should be corrected to avoid any problems in future, he added. -- PTI
15:15 Chidambaram appears as advocate for 1st time after getting bail
Former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday appeared as an advocate in the Supreme Court, for the first time after getting bail in the INX Media case.Chidambaram appeared in the apex court against Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi in connection with the hearing in a domestic violence and divorce case.
Interestingly, Sibal and Singhvi had represented Chidambaram for getting bail in the INX Media case.The former Union Finance Minister was released from Delhi's Tihar Jail on December 4 after being granted bail and on Thursday he attended the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
The senior Congress leader had on December 4 said that he was happy to have stepped out from the jail and breathing the air of freedom after 106 days."I am happy that I have stepped out and breathing the air of freedom after 106 days," he said after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence.
The apex court set aside the Delhi High Court's order which had refused to grant bail to Chidambaram and directed him not to tamper with evidence and influence witnesses in the case. -- PTI
14:52 CAB protests: Army deployed to Assam, Tripura
The Central government has also started withdrawing paramilitary forces from Jammu and Kashmir after the law and order situation improves in the Valley.
The Centre has deployed army columns to Assam and Tripura. Two columns have been deployed in Kanchanpur and Manu in Tripura and one column in Bongaigaon.
Ten companies of the Central Reserve Police Force have been moved from Jammu and Kashmir to Assam. According to sources, as many as 20 CRPF companies will be sent to Assam from Jammu and Kashmir. A special train has also been started to help security personnel reach Assam conveniently.
"The MHA has cancelled the order of induction of seven CRPF Companies to Manipur on the operational ground and these Companies should be released to the Government of Assam for Law and Order duty on the arrival of the special train at Dimapur," an official communication, accessed by ANI states. -- PTI
14:38 Inner line permit regime extended to Manipur
The inner line permit regime was extended to Manipur on Wednesday with President Ram Nath Kovind signing the order in this effect. The decision comes two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in Lok Sabha that the ILP would be extended to the northeastern state.
A notification in this regard was issued by the Home Ministry. Manipur is the fourth state after Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram where the ILP regime is applicable. To visit the ILP-regime states, outsiders, including people from other states of the country, needs to take permission. -- PTI
13:35 Oppn could get numbers against CAB: Azad
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said the opposition could get the required numbers against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as the parties that supported the BJP in the Lok Sabha might vote against the proposed legislation, considering the nationwide protests against it.
"Who knows, we may have the numbers. I think a better sense will prevail on most of the regional political parties and they will read through the reasons why this bill should not be passed. This bill is totally discriminatory and unconstitutional. It has been rejected by one and all from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The northeastern states are burning and there are huge protests in other parts of the country.
"I do not think that ever before, the northeastern states have unitedly gone against a bill passed by Parliament," the senior Congress leader told reporters. -- PTI
13:09 Entire NE protected under CAB: Rijiju
The entire northeast has been given protection under the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the government's most prominent face from the region, Union minister Kiren Rijiju, said amidst protests across the northeastern states against the contentious bill that was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Rijiju said for the first time in the history of India, the people of the northeast were consulted over such an important bill. "The concerns of the indigenous people of the northeast have been addressed thoroughly in the bill. I know that protests are going on in the northeast, there are concerns, but those have been addressed by the government. The entire northeast has complete protection under the Citizenship Bill and we do not want the region to fall into the trap of some mis-campaigning," he said, when asked to comment on the bill. -- PTI
12:57 CAB protest: Students clash with police near Assam secretariat
Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill continued to rock Assam as a large group of students fought a pitched battle with the police near the state secretariat here on Wednesday, police said.
Students in large numbers were seen heading to the Secretariat from all directions. Another group has reached Ganeshguri area, around 500 metres from the centre of power. They broke a barricade on GS Road following which the police resorted to lathi charge. Teargas shells were also lobbed at the students who also threw the shells back at the policemen. Claiming that several of them were injured in the lathicharge, the students said, "This is a barbaric government led by Sarbananda Sonowal. We will not succumb to any pressure till the CAB is repealed." Traffic has gone haywire in the city. Besides Guwahati, protestors also clashed with the police in Dibrugarh district where the police fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets at demonstrators. A journalist was injured in stone pelting there. PTI
12:52 CAB fails morality test: Cong
Anand Sharma in the Congress in Rajya Sabha, "The bill that you have brought is an assault on the very foundation of the Indian constitution, it is an assault on the Republic of India. It hurts the soul of India. It is against our constitution and democracy. It fails the morality test."
12:40 FIR against AMU students for protesting against CAB
Police have registered an FIR against 20 identified and 200 unidentified students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on Tuesday.Speaking to ANI, Circle Officer, Civil Lines Anil Samania gave this information.Demonstrations by students at Aligarh Muslim University have been going on for the past two days against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
In view of the protests today, a large number of Rapid Action Force personnel have been deployed outside the campus.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, was passed with a majority of 311 votes against 80 votes in Lok Sabha where 391 members were present and voting.
The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. -- PTI
12:32 No Muslim in India should worry about CAB: Shah
Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha: "There has been an almost 20% decline each in the population of religious minorities in both Pakistan and present day Bangladesh. Either they were killed or they fled to India for shelter.
"Misinformation has been spread that this bill is against Muslims of India. I want to ask the people saying this that how is this bill related to Indian Muslims? They are Indian citizens and will always remain so. There is no discrimination against them. No Muslim in India needs to worry due to this Bill. Don't get scared if someone tries to scare you. This is Narendra Modi's Govt working according to the Constitution and minorities will get full protection.
"In 1985, the Assam accord happened. There is a provision in clause 6 to protect the indigenous culture of the state. I want to assure you that the NDA Government through a committee will supervise clause 6 which will protect the rights of the people of Assam. The All Assam Students' Union is part of committee.
12:09 Historic CAB will help lakhs: HM in RS
Home Minister Amit Shah tables the Citizenship Amendment Bill tabled in the Rajya Sabha, saying it is a historic bill and will help lakhs of people.
The Congress today hit out at the BJP and said it was just interested in keeping the country divided on religious lines. The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "There are about 13 like-minded parties in the Rajya Sabha... I have met them and they will all vote against CAB Bill.
"The government does not want to address concerns around the economy and issue of price rise. BJP is only interested in keeping the country divided on the lines of religion. Abrogation of Article 370 and Triple Talaq Bill are other examples. This just proves that the BJP has no respect for the Constitution."
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
It was passed in Lok Sabha by a majority of 311 votes against 80 after a heated debate on Monday.It has led to widespread protests across the country, especially in Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and the national capital. The Bill is scheduled to be tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha at 2 pm today.
File pic of Amit Shah discussing and debating the CAB in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
12:04 Congress gives adjournment motion notice on 'unrest in country over CAB'
Congress chief whip in Lok Sabha Kodikunnil Suresh on Wednesday gave an adjournment motion notice on 'unrest and strife in the country over Citizenship Amendment Bill'.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
It was passed in Lok Sabha by a majority of 311 votes against 80 after a heated debate on Monday.It has led to widespread protests across the country, especially in Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and the national capital. The Bill is scheduled to be tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha at 2 pm today. -- ANI
11:54 Don't try to create Hindu-Muslim divide: Raut
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said the dynamics in the Rajya Sabha were different from that of the Lok Sabha and asserted that the government will have to answer their queries on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, before they can expect support from the Maharashtra-based party.
The bill is scheduled to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Sena, which supported the bill in the Lok Sabha, did a u-turn on Tuesday when its chief Uddhav Thackeray indicated that its support was conditional in the Upper House of Parliament.
"Lok Sabha numbers are different, the situation in the Rajya Sabha is different. The government has to reply to our queries. Votebank politics is not right. You are trying to create a Hindu-Muslim divide in the country yet again, leave it," Raut said.
-- PTI
11:33 BJP appoints 10 speakers for CAB debate in Rajya Sabha
BJP working president JP Nadda will be opening the debate in Rajya Sabha. A total of 10 speakers have been appointed from BJP, including Bhupendra Yadav, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.
11:16 Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 pm
Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 12 pm. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is scheduled to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha at 12 pm.
11:10 Oppn speaking Pak's language on CAB: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the opposition of speaking Pakistan's language on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and asserted that the legislation will be written in "golden letters" in history.
Addressing BJP parliamentary party meeting, Modi likened the bill to the government's decision to nullify Article 370 and said it will provide permanent relief to minorities of neighbouring countries who arrived in India fleeing religious persecution.
He also asked party MPs to gather feedback from all sections of society -- from farmers to the poor and industrialists -- on the coming Union budget and share the inputs with the finance minister.
-- PTI
10:55 CAB will be written in golden letters: PM Modi
Ahead of the Rajya Sabha session where the Citizenship Amendment Bill will be introduced, the BJP held its parliamentary meet.
Speaking at the meeting, PM Narendra Modi said, "Citizenship Bill will be written in golden letters, it will give permanent relief to people who fled religious persecution."
After the BJP parliamentary meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill will be tabled in Rajya Sabha at 12 pm today. He also hoped that the bill will be passed in the house with a comfortable majority.
10:22 CAB is attempt to ethnically cleanse NE: Rahul
Targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah before the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 is introduced in Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has launched a scathing attack.
Taking to Twitter, the former Congress president wrote, ""The CAB is a attempt by Modi-Shah Govt to ethnically cleanse the North East. It is a criminal attack on the North East, their way of life and the idea of India.
I stand in solidarity with the people of the North East and am at their service."
On Tuesday, large parts of the northeast simmered with protests by students' unions and Left-democratic organisations against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, with choked roads leaving an ailing two-month-old baby dead on way to hospital.
Protesters burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
10:13 PM Modi attends BJP Parliamentary meet ahead of crucial RS test
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary party meeting at Parliament library.
Today, the BJP will face a crucial test as Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Rajya Sabha.
While the BJP had the clear majority in Lok Sabha, the passage in Rajya Sabha looks difficult as party has the support of 108 MPs.
BJP needs 121 votes in favour of the bill to get it passed from the upper house.
10:04 Boxer Sumit Sangwan tests positive for drugs
Boxer Sumit Sangwan has tested positive for a substance acetazolamide, which has been banned by World Anti-Doping Agency.
09:57 13 parties to vote against Citizenship bill: Cong's Azad
Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said that there are about 13 like minded parties in the Rajya Sabha.
"I have met them and they will all vote against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill...The govt does not want to address concerns around the economy and issue of price rise. BJP is only interested in keeping the country divided on the lines of religion. Abrogation of article 370 and Triple Talaq Bill are other examples. This just proves that the BJP has no respect for the constitution."
The parties which are against CAB are:
>> Congress
>> Trinamool Congress
>> Aam Aadmi Party
>> Samajwadi Party
>> Telangana Rashtra Samithi
>> Communist Party of India-Marxist
>> Bahujan Samaj Party
>> Rashtriya Janata Dal
>> Dravida Munnetra Kazagham
>> Nationalist Congress Party
>> All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
>> Sikkim Krantikari Morcha
>> All India United Democratic Front
09:31 No Question Hour, CAB in Rajya Sabha at 12 noon
There will be no Question Hour today in Rajya Sabha.
Now the Citizenship Bill debate will begin at 12 noon instead of 2 pm.
Home Minister Amit Shah will table the Citizenship Bill in Rajya Sabha today for clearance after the Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on Monday.
The Opposition camp has appointed MPs to speak on the Citizenship Bill.
Here's a list of speakers: From Congress, Kapil Sibal will open the discussion after the Bill is introduced by Amit Shah and Anand Sharma will also argue against the Bill.
Derek O'Brien will lead the Trinamool Congress's arguments in Rajya Sabha while Tiruchi Siva will speak on behalf of DMK. Satish Mishra will be speaking on behalf of BSP and Sanjay Singh for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). NCP's Praful Patel and RJD's Manoj Jha will also speak on the Citizenship Bill along with Javed Ali Khan of Samajwadi Party.
09:19 Cong issues 3 line whip for RS MPs during CAB
Congress has issued a three-line whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in the House on Wednesday for the introduction of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that will be tabled in the House on Wednesday.
The Citizenship Bill, already passed by the Lok Sabha, will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Bill sailed through Lok Sabha after a 12-hour-long debate on Monday with 311 votes in favour of it and 80 against.
BJP has already issued whip to all the members of Rajya Sabha to attend the sessions on December 10 and December 11. Now NDA will require the support of at least 121 MPs in the 240-member Rajya Sabha to pass the Citizenship Bill.
Members who defy the party whip are likely to face action.
The numbers as they stand now have 121 MPs favouring the Bill and 100 against it while a bunch of others haven't made their stand clear.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, excluding Muslims, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship.
The bill relaxes the requirement of residence in India from 11 years to six years for these migrants.
08:46 'Why Lankan Tamils, Muslims left out of CAB'
Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan wondered why Sri Lankan Tamils and Muslims were left out of the ambit of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill if it was a "genuinely benevolent" legislation.
"Why are Tamils who are subjected to a methodic genocide and Muslims facing discrimination, be excluded from the bill? If it's a genuinely benevolent bill and not a vote garnering exercise, then why won't this CAB stop to pick up stranded Tamils & troubled Muslims of Sri Lanka?" he said in a tweet.
Earlier on Tuesday, spiritual guru Ravi Shankar and lyricist Vairamuthu had batted for providing citizenship to Lankan refugees staying in the country for over three decades.
08:30 This land is mine
Despite being under constant siege, the edifice of Indias Constitution has endured so far. The onslaught has intensified since the expanded mandate to the Narendra Modi government in May.
However, if Parliament passes the Citizenship Amendment Bill, Indias constitutional structure will cave in. Make no mistake. The Constitution will not need to be rewritten. But, its soul will be annihilated. A new nation will emerge from its rubble -- wrathful, muscular, majoritarian, and inhospitable to its minorities.
Read Harsh Mander's full column HERE
08:17 Brazil president calls climate activist Greta Thunberg a "brat"
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro called Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg a "brat" after the activist condemned the weekend killing of two indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest.
The Guajajara tribal members were shot dead in the northeastern state of Maranhao on Saturday, taking to three the number of indigenous people killed in the area in recent weeks.
Thunberg, 16, tweeted on Sunday it was "shameful" that the world remained silent as indigenous people were murdered for trying to stop illegal deforestation.
Police are investigating the killings.
Far-right Bolsonaro dismissed Thunberg as a "brat" in remarks to reporters as he left his official residence in Brasilia.
He said "any death is worrying" and that his government opposed illegal deforestation.
07:46 Citizenship bill faces crucial RS test today
The controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will be tabled in Rajya Sabha Wednesday afternoon, two days after the legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha.
The CAB, which has sharply divided discourse in the country, will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha around 2 pm. This is expected to be followed by a debate in the Upper House, which, considering Monday's Lok Sabha discussion, could be fiery and heated.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party is confident of getting the Bill passed in Rajya Sabha as well, the numbers game could prove to be tough. During the last Parliament session, which took place before the Lok Sabha elections, the government ended up not bringing the Bill in the Upper House even though it had been passed by the Lok Sabha.
The chief opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is that it discriminates on the basis of religion by identifying only non-Muslims refugees as those who would be eligible for Indian citizenship.
While the BJP and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance enjoy an overwhelming majority in the lower house that helped it get 311 votes in favour of the bill, and 80 against in the lower house, the party's hold on the Rajya Sabha is wobblier.
With a current strength of 240, the majority mark in the upper house is 121. The NDA, which includes parties like AIADMK, Janata Dal-United and the Akali Dal, has 116 members and expects the support of 14 others, taking its numbers to 130.
The 14 includes three members of the Shiv Sena, a former BJP ally that voted in favour of the Bill in the Lok Sabha but has said its support in the Rajya Sabha is not certain. Even if the Sena abstains, the BJP will not have reason to worry as it will bring down the majority mark.
00:58 Pankaja skips BJP's core committee meeting
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde on Tuesday remained absent from the party's state unit core committee meeting in Mumbai, claiming she needed time to oversee preparations for her public address in Gopinathgad in Beed on December 12.
Munde, who has been holding a public rally every year on the birth anniversary of her father and former Union minister, the late Gopinath Munde, was absent from the division-level meetings of the BJP as well.
She did not attend the party's regional-level meeting held in Aurangabad on Monday either though state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said she was 'unwell' and hence could not take part in the meet.
Munde skipped Tuesday's meeting of the state BJP core committee in Mumbai on the ground she was busy with preparations for her rally in Gopinathgad in Beed on December 12.
She was defeated by cousin and Nationalist Congress Party leader Dhananjay Munde from Parli in the October assembly polls, and there has been speculation that she was unhappy with the BJP.
Another BJP leader, Eknath Khadse, is also said to exploring other options.
Khadse, however, said here he was not unhappy with his party.
Khadse, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said he will take part in Munde's 'Swabhiman' rally at Gopinathgad. -- PTI
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