Citizenship Amendment Bill: 'Decision only after people's concerns addressed'

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday said the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which provides for grant of Indian citizenship to minorities from neighbouring countries on humanitarian grounds, would be finalized and placed before Parliament only after thorough due consultation with all stakeholders and addressing concerns raised by the people of Assam over its provisions.
The assurance to this effect was given by Union home minister Rajnath Singh to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal during a meeting to review administrative and security arrangements related to updating of National Register of Citizens (NRC). The final draft of NRC is due for publication on June 30 this year.

The Citizenship Bill has run into trouble in Assam with sections opposing it for being discriminatory on grounds of religion and BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad complaining that it is violative of the Assam Accord as it seeks to confer citizenship on illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Central government sources however insist that the offer of citizenship is based on “grounds of religious persecution faced by the minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh & Afghanistan” and therefore not applicable to those belonging to majority community in these countries.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Sonowal said there should be no apprehension in the minds of the people of Assam about the Citizenship Amendment Bill. “The home minister has assured that before taking any steps the concerns of the people of Assam will be taken care of,” he said.

A home ministry release said the meeting on Wednesday - attended by senior officers of the home ministry and Assam government - agreed that adequate opportunity must be given to people to file claims and objections to the final NRC draft and also their proper disposal as per the law. A campaign should also be launched to inform and educate people on the process of filing the claims and objections, it was emphasised.

Sonowal requested the home minister to set up a committee to make recommendations for implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord that guarantees Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people. Home minister assured the chief minister that the committee would be set up at the earliest in consultation with the state government.