New Delhi: Amid massive protests in different parts of the country against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), which will be tabled in Rajya Sabha at 2 PM on Wednesday (December 11), the Centre on Tuesday (December 10) issued an eight-point myth-buster claiming that the Bill won’t dilute Assam Accord and is not aimed at discriminating the Muslims living in the country.


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The Bill that seeks to give Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zorastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh was passed with a thumping majority in Lok Sabha on Monday night (December 9) after six hours of intense debate. In Lok Sabha, the Bill was passed with 311 MPs voting in its favour and 80 against.



Here's the details of eight-point myth-buster released by the Centre: 


1. Myth: Citizenship Amendment Bill will provide citizenship to Bengali Hindus


Fact: Citizenship Amendment Bill does not automatically confer Indian citizenship to Bengali Hindus. It is just an enabling legislation for persons belonging to six minority communities of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It has been proposed on extremely humanitarian grounds as these minorities had fled from these three countries due to persecution on grounds of their religion.


2. Myth: Citizenship Amendment Bill dilutes ‘Assam Accord’


Fact: Citizenship Amendment Bill does not dilute the sanctity of the Assam Accord as far as the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, stipulated for detection/deportation of illegal immigrants is concerned.


3. Myth: Citizenship Amendment Bill is against the interest of indigenous people of Assam


Fact: Citizenship Amendment Bill is not Assam-centric. It is applicable to the whole country. Citizenship Amendment Bill is definitely not against National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is being updated to protect indigenous communities from illegal immigrants.


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4. Myth: Citizenship Amendment Bill will lead to the domination of Bengali speaking people


Fact: Most of the Hindu Bengali population is settled in Barak Valley of Assam, where Bengali is declared the second State language. In Brahmaputra Valley, Hindu Bengalis are settled in isolated pockets and have adapted themselves to the Assamese language.


5. Myth: Bengali Hindus will become a burden for Assam


Fact: Citizenship Amendment Bill is applicable to the whole country. Persons facing religious persecution are not settled only in Assam. They are staying in other parts of the country as well.


6. Myth: Citizenship Amendment Bill will trigger fresh migration of Hindus from Bangladesh


Fact: Most of the minorities have already migrated from Bangladesh. Moreover, the scale of atrocities on them in Bangladesh has been coming down in recent years. In the changed scenario, large-scale migration on account of religious persecution is now a remote possibility. Further, there is a cut-off date of December 31, 2014 and benefits under Citizenship Amendment Bill will not be available for members of the religious minorities who migrate to India after the cut-off date.


7. Myth: Citizenship Amendment Bill is a ploy to grab tribal land by accommodating Hindu Bengalis


Fact: Hindu Bengalis are mostly settled in Barak Valley, away from tribal belts and blocks. Further, the Citizenship Amendment Bill does not contradict laws and regulations for the protection of tribal lands. Citizenship Amendment Bill is not applicable in areas where provisions of ILP and sixth schedule of the Constitution apply.


8. Myth: Citizenship Amendment Bill is discriminatory against Muslims


Fact: Any foreigner of any religion from any country can apply for Indian citizenship if he/she is eligible to do so as per the existing provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955. The Citizenship Amendment Bill does not change these provisions at all. It only enables migrants of six minority communities from three countries to apply for Indian citizenship if they meet the given criteria.