Hindu refugees from Pakistan celebrate after Lok Sabha passes Citizenship Amendment Bill

Hindu refugees from Pakistan living in Delhi's Majnu-ka-Tila area on Tuesday celebrated passage of Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 in Lok Sabha, reported news agency ANI.

As per a video tweeted by the news agency, Hindu refugees from Pakistan, ranging from kids to grown-up men and the elderly can be seen dancing, singing and playing musical instruments to celebrate the bill’s passage in the Lok Sabha.

In another Tweet shared by ANI, the refugees can bee seen distributing sweets among each other, where women can be seen celebrating the CAB passage in the lower house of parliament.

On the other hand, the country including the national capital, Delhi on Tuesday witnessed protest demonstrations by political parties, students' bodies and civil society groups over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The Northeast Students' Union is staging a protest against the bill at Jantar Mantar. People from various walks of life and across organisations have joined the stir.

The CPI(M)'s Delhi state committee members also held a protest at the same venue against the contentious bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Communist Party of India (Marxist) MPs had earlier held a protest near the Gandhi statue on the Parliament premises.

Members of the Left party were seen carrying banners, saying "CAB waapis lo" (withdraw the CAB) and "Dharm aadharit CAB nahi chalega" (won't accept a CAB based on religion).

"The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill on Monday night. This law is against our Constitution. This law will be passed in Parliament, despite opposition. For the first time, religion has become the base for citizenship," Prakash Karat of the CPI(M) said.

Another protest, organized by various civil society groups, is scheduled to be held in the evening against the Citizenship Bill as well as the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Lok Sabha passed a Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there, a little past midnight on Monday.

After over seven-hour-long debate, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed in the Lok Sabha with 311 members favouring it and 80 voting against it.

Several amendments brought by opposition members, including one by Shiv Sena MP, were defeated either by voice vote or by a division.

According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants and will be given Indian citizenship.

(With Agency Inputs)

Also Raed: Citizenship Amendment Bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha tomorrow