Shiv Sena to oppose Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Parliament

New Delhi: BJP's former NDA alliance partner Shiv Sena will oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Parliament, which was approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. Making its stand clear on the issue, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said that its MPs will strongly oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 when it is tabled in Parliament by Home Minister Amit Shah during the ongoing winter session.

According to Shiv Sena, the bill poses a threat to national security. Shiv Sena MP Rajendra Gavit today expressed his strong reservation over the bill during a discussion in Parliament. 

It may be noted that the Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that seeks to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The Bill, which amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants in select categories eligible for citizenship, has been attacked by the opposition, minority outfits and others for leaving out Muslims and also on the ground that it is at odds with the Constitution, which does not differentiate between citizens on the basis of their faith.

The Bill has been opposed vehemently by opposition parties like Congress, Trinamool, DMK, Samajwadi Party, RJD and the Left and even regional parties like BJD have expressed reservations.

The Bill has sparked resentment in the northeast, and there are indications that the government is working out a compromise intended to reassure states in the region over the implications of granting citizenship to a large number of Hindus who have come from Bangladesh over the decades.

However, the Centre has srongly rejected the Opposition allegation, saying that the BJP government has always worked to unite the country and its people.

The Bill holds significance since the BJP leadership equates it with the Centre's move to nullify Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state of J&K.