JP Nadda directs BJP MPs to inform refugees about Citizenship Amendment Act

BJP's national working President JP Nadda has directed all the BJP MPs to inform and educate the refugees about the Citizenship Amendment Act, a day after the Bill was signed by President of India Ram Nath Kovind. Nadda insisted MPs to speak to Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi refugees in their respective constituencies from December 14 to 31. A conference of intellectuals will also be organized by the BJP in all the districts to discuss the key aspects of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

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Protests in Northeast

The contentious Bill was smoothly passed in both Houses of the Parliament despite the opposition's rigid stance against the Bill, followed by the President's assent on Thursday. However, after the Bill was passed, violent protests erupted in the Northeastern states such as Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya. Army columns had been deployed in the Northeastern states to bring the situation under control. Mobile and Internet services were also suspended in the states to control the transmission and spreading of violent messages and videos in the region.

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What is CAA?

The Citizenship Amendment Act grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Through this act, Indian citizenship can be sought by the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country. The Bill had been passed by the Lok Sabha earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of the PM Narendra Modi government in the Centre. The bill was again passed in the winter session of Lok Sabha with a roaring majority of 311 votes in favour while 80 against the Bill, and in Rajya Sabha with 125 in favour of the bill out of the 245 member Rajya Sabha.

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(with ANI inputs)