Caravan News
NEW DELHI – Amid continued nationwide protests and strong oppositions to the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, National General Secretary and Spokesperson of Jantar Dal (United) Pavan Varma urged JD(U) national president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to reconsider his party’s support to the contentious legislation in the Rajya Sabha.
The bill which grants citizenship to all non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan was passed by the Lok Sabha at midnight on Monday. The Narendra Modi government is confident of passing the bill in the Rajya Sabha as it is being supported by BJP allies including Nitish Kumar’s JD(U).
“I urge Shri Nitish Kumar to reconsider support to the #CAB in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and against the unity and harmony of the country, apart from being against the secular principles of the JDU. Gandhiji would have strongly disapproved it,” Pavan Verma tweeted.
I urge Shri Nitish Kumar to reconsider support to the #CAB in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and against the unity and harmony of the country, apart from being against the secular principles of the JDU. Gandhiji would have strongly disapproved it.
— Pavan K. Varma (@PavanK_Varma) December 10, 2019
The bill has been facing strong criticism from all round at national and international level for granting citizenship on the basis of religion. US Commission on International Religious Freedom has called for sanction against Home Minister Amit Shah if the bill is passed by both houses. As the bill has been passed in the lower house, there is outrage and unrest in the Muslim community.
Earlier, JD(U) Vice President Prashant Kishor has expressed his disappointment over the party’s support to the CAB.
“Disappointed to see JDU supporting #CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion. It’s incongruous with the party’s constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals,” he tweeted.
Disappointed to see JDU supporting #CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion.
It’s incongruous with the party’s constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 9, 2019