In the Rajya Sabha, Amit Shah while responding to questions raised by the opposition, says the Citizenship Amendment Bill is about granting citizenship and not about taking it away. As protests continue against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which was cleared by the Lok Sabha on Monday amid vehement opposition, the bill was introduced by Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha this afternoon. While the BJP and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) enjoy an overwhelming majority in the lower house that helped it 334 votes in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and 106 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.
Violent protests have erupted in northeastern states against the bill, which seeks to make it easier for non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to become Indian citizens.
The controversial legislation provides that Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians fleeing persecution in Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan can be granted citizenship.
