Citizenship (Amendment) Bill needed because Congress divided India: Amit Shah

"The bill is needed because of the divisive politics played by the Congress on the basis of religion," an angry Shah said while speaking on the bill in Parliament's lower house followed by the huge uproar by the Opposition.

Amid the frequent intervention and uproar by the Opposition MPs, particularly Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s Kalyan Banerjee, Shah said the bill does not contradict Article 14 (right to equality before law) of the constitution. 

"Article 14 does not stop a government from making laws. Indira Gandhi (former Prime Minister) allowed citizenship to all people who came from Bangladesh during her tenure. Did Article 14 stop her from making the law?" said the Home Minister.

He added, "Does aids to the minority educational institutions violate Article 14?"

The draft legislation proposes Indian citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from Muslim major neighbouring nations like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The bill proposes to gives Indian citizenship to people belonging to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christian communities if they entered India from the three nations on or before Dec 31, 2014.

North-eastern student organisations, civil society groups and opposition parties have been opposing the government over their move.

(Image Credit: BJP Twitter)