Citizenship Amendment Bill introduced in LS after chaotic debate

New Delhi: The much talked about Citizenship Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday after 293 members voting in favour of it.

Altogether 82 opposition members including from Congress, Indian Union of Muslim League, DMK and Trinanool Congress voted against the introduction.

The revised Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, in order to grant Indian nationality to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who are 'forced to come to India' following religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Piloting the introduction of the draft law, Home Minister Amit Shah said 'reasonable classification' has been made the ground while drafting the Bill.

Mr Shah said contrary to opposition charges - no constitutional provisions and the essence of Article 14 which guarantees Right to Equality have been violated.

The introduction of the Bill took about seventy minutes as several vocal opposition members Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) and Saugata Roy (Trinamool Congress) opposed the introduction saying the House did not have the 'legislative competence' to bring about such a legislation.(UNI)