CAB: JP Nadda takes a jibe at Congress, says they are trying to digress from issue

During the heated debate on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, BJP MP JP Nadda slammed Congress leader Anand Sharma and said that he was trying to digress from the issue.' Nadda also took a jibe at Sharma's profession adding that he was bringing in arguments not linked to the main issue.

Anand Sharma's statement

During the discussion of CAB in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma had called the Bill 'an assault on the Indian Constitution and Republic of India.' "It hurts the soul of India. It is against our Constitution and democracy. In our religion, we believe in rebirth, and that we meet our elders. So if Sardar Patel meets Modi Ji then he will be very angry with him, Gandhiji will, of course, be sad, but Patel will be indeed very angry," Anand Sharma said.

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JP Nadda's jibe

Responding to this, JP Nadda said, "when a lawyer does not have an argument, he tries to show his intellectual abilities by bringing in arguments not linked to the main issue. CAB talks only of rights to minorities facing religious persecution. This is the essence of the bill and not to be digressed from."

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JP Nadda also spoke about how the Congress party should not oppose the bill especially since it was in line with the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's demand for better treatment of the minority refugees from neighbouring countries. "In 2003, Dr Manmohan Singh had spoken to then-deputy PM Advani Ji on the treatment of refugees and persecution of minorities in countries like Bangladesh. He said we should have a more liberal approach in granting citizenship to them. So, we are following what he said," Nadda said.

Read: Sachin Pilot protests against CAB in Rajasthan, says it won't pass 'judicial scrutiny'

Where do the parties stand on CAB?

While the BJP saw an easy passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, owing to the saffron party's majority in the House, passing the Bill in the 245-member Rajya Sabha will not to that easy. The halfway mark is currently 121 as five seats are vacant bringing down the strength of the House to 240. 

The BJP has 83 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. According to preliminary analysis and allies that are extending support to the BJP, 117 MPs are expected to say yes to the Bill, along with 4 nominated MPs, thus garnering the support of 121 MPs for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019. 

Read: JDU rift over CAB explodes: Prashant Kishor reminds CM Nitish Kumar of 'victory of 2015'

(with ANI inputs)