Pak Hindu migrants in Jodhpur celebrate Citizenship Bill being passed in Lok Sabha

pass of Citizenship Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha brought cheers to Hindu migrants from Pakistan who are living in city and y are w looking forward to bill getting a d from Rajya Sabha. Premchand, who h shifted from Pakistan in 2005 and applied for citizenship later, expressed happiness over this development.

" government has given a new life to us. We express our gratitude to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP government for giving us a chance to live in India with dignity," he said, ding that he has applied for citizenship.

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'People were compelled to wait for 11 years'

Hindu Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangathan, an organization fighting for rights of migrants, said this amendment would make more migrants eligible for citizenship. "This amendment would make more migrants eligible for citizenship sooner. People h earlier been compelled to wait for 11 long years in this country before applying for citizenship," said Sodha. He said earlier bill could t get d of Rajya Sabha.

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"We look forward to bill being passed in Upper House as well," Sodha said, ding that process of granting of citizenship also needed to be expedited as it progressed at a snail's pace.

Earlier, migrants applying for citizenship were required to have stayed in India for at least 11 years, but under proposed legislation required period of stay has been reduced to six years. Ar Hindu migrant from Pakistan said pass of bill was in right direction.

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"Though six years is also t a short period, we are still happy that it was cut in half," he said and expressed hope that it would save m from trouble of repeated formalities and permissions that require documents.

bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to n-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Banglesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution re, was passed in Lok Sabha a little past midnight on Monday after a heated debate that lasted over seven hours.

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