Shiv Sena to oppose Citizenship Bill in Parliament

January 6: The BJP-led NDA government is all set to introduce the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which is slated to be tabled in the winter session of the Parliament on 7 January. But things won’t be that smooth for the passage of the bill. Shiv Sena on Sunday said it would oppose the Citizenship Bill. The bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to the religious minorities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians) who have migrated from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan till 2014 due to religious persecution.

The people of Assam, irrespective of their caste, religion and creed oppose the proposed legislation, Sena leader Sanjay Raut said. Political analysts are of the view that this is a fall out because of the increasing bickering between the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena. The decision has been taken after the Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) appealed to Shiv Sena to oppose the legislation.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the bill is slated to table it in the Parliament on 7 January. Sanjay Raut further said that if the bill is passed then the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord will become meaningless. He further added that the entire process of National Register of Citizens (NRC) monitored by the Supreme Court will be meaningless if the bill is passed.