'Akshay Kumar okay, Katrina Kaif not': How Sanjay Nirupam described the Citizenship Bill

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam while speaking to the media on Monday explained his view on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with a Bollywood example. He used the examples of actors Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif to explain the 'discrimination' being done in the Bill. The controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. 

Sanjay Nirupam on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 

Giving the example of Bollywood celebrities, Sanjay Nirupam said, "The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is nothing but a register of the citizens of India... However, as far as the CAB (Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is concerned, citizens all across the country have objection over it. My friend Akshay Kumar is a Canadian citizen and you are having the provision for him to get citizenship. On the other hand, actor Katrina Kaif is a British citizen and she will be turned away. This discrimination is what has worried many people”.  

Read: Citizenship Bill Debate LIVE Updates: Debate on features of CAB underway in Lok Sabha

"Akshay Kumar is acceptable and Katrina is not. This thinking is being condemned. The government should seriously think about these aspects. Katrina Kaif is just an example. There are so many such people who are contributing immensely to the country. Discrimination on the basis of religion will not be tolerated," he added. 

Read: 'Why not Myanmar, Sri Lanka?: Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek opposes CAB & attacks BJP

Discussions on CAB in Lok Sabha 

On Monday, the lower house of the India Parliament – Lok Sabha, took up the Bill over which the discussion is currently underway. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 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, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country. The Bill was passed by the Lower House of the Parliament 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. 

Read: N.K. Premachandran: CAB violates basic structural features of the Constitution

Read: Amit Shah tables CAB amid opposition, says, 'Muslim community not named even once'