Samajwadi Party (SP) and Lok Sabha MP Azam Khan on Tuesday said that Muslims had the choice to go to Pakistan following partition in 1947, but opted not to do so, and are therefore bigger "patriots" than those who did not have that choice. He also alleged that the opposition parties were not heard by the government during the debate on the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

'Those did not go to Pakistan are bigger patriots than...'

Speaking to news agency ANI on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which was passed in the Lok Sabha, he said, "In 1947, the country was partitioned. Those who did not go to Pakistan, they had a choice. No one else had that choice except Muslims. Those who did not go to Pakistan are bigger patriots than those who did not have that option. If this is the punishment for their patriotism, then what can I say as it seems that only heads are counted in democracy, not brains."

Alleging that the opposition was not heard by the government during the debate on the Bill, Azam Khan said, "The decision (passing of the CAB) was based on power (numerical superiority). The opposition does not have the numbers and so they were not heard. In a good democracy, the government should listen to the opposition and consider what they have to say."

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What is the CAB?

On Monday, the Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 with 311 members favouring it and 80 voting against it. It was passed after hours of debate. CAB seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Through this bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014. The bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The BJP-led NDA requires the support of at least 123 MPs in the 245-member house for the bill to be passed. BJP will be banking on support by like-minded parties to push through the legislation. 

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(With ANI inputs)