Congress leaders Sibal, Singhvi attack Centre over CAB, call it 'unconstitutional'

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has attacked the Centre over the Citizenship (Amendment Bill) on Monday hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce the bill in the Lok Sabha. Taking to Twitter, Sibal said that CAB is a 'cab ride' with a divisive driver to destabilise and destroy the polity values both societal and constitutional with an eye only on political dividends. He also urged the parties and people opposing the bill to unite against it. 

'Hath milao Desh bachao!'

CAB "against the constitution" of India

Congress Spokesperson Dr Abhishek Singhvi also attacked the BJP led government in the Centre and said that the Congress opposes the bill as it is "against the constitution" of India. In a reference to Pakistan, he also said that CAB is against the vision of Mahatma Gandhi making India a ''modern and plural society', unlike its next-door extremist neighbours.

About the Citizenship Amendment Bill

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan escaping religious persecution there. The Bill has triggered widespread protests in northeastern states with a large section of people and organisations opposing the Bill, saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed 24 March 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

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Copy of the Bill circulated to all parliamentarians

Members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till 31 December 2014, facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship, according to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2019.  A copy of the Bill was circulated to all parliamentarians last week, after the Cabinet gave a go-ahead on December 4. 

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