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As Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, 9 December, tabled the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha, protests erupted in the Parliament and intensified in the Northeastern states of Assam and Tripura.
Indian Union Muslim League MPs protested in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Parliament, while the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MPs demonstrated in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, PTI reported.
"We reject this bill. It is against the Constitution and against Hindu-Muslim unity," Badruddin Ajmal, Lok Sabha AIUDF MP from Dhubri, Assam, told reporters.
According to the bill, non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will be given Indian citizenship after residing in the country for five years, instead of 11 years – which is the current rule.
Protests, which began over the weekend, intensified in Assam’s Guwahati. In Golaghat, a smaller group protested against the bill, according to ANI.
A man shouts slogans as he participates in a torch light procession to protest against CAB in Guwahati, on Saturday, 7 December.
(Photo: AP/Anupam Nath)
Shops remained shut amid calls for a two-day strike in the state by at least 16 organisations, including the All Assam Chutia Students Union and the All Moran Students Union, PTI reports.
Meanwhile, the North East Students’ Organization (NESO) has called for a pan-Northeast bandh from 5 am on Tuesday.
Protests also erupted in Tripura’s capital Agartala against the controversial bill.
On Sunday, supporting the movement spearheaded by the Manipur People Against CAB (MANPAC), protesters came out in large numbers in Imphal, reported PTI.
The day also saw protests in Bangalore.
There are fears in the Northeast that the Bill will cause an influx of religious minorities from Bangladesh posing a threat to the indigenous populace. The bill is also seen as discriminatory against Muslims.
While the Opposition on Monday alleged that the Bill violates Article 14 of the Constitution and therefore must not be discussed in the Lower House, Shah defended it by saying that the proposed legislation is not against Muslims. After a heated debate, the House voted to formally introduce the Bill for discussion.
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