Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday slammed government over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill. He urged the government not to play vote-bank politics.
Sanjay Raut said: Votebank politics should not be played, its not correct. Don't attempt to create a Hindu-Muslim divide again. Also nothing in this bill for Tamil Hindus of Sri Lanka".
"We have to clear our doubts on this bill, if we don't get satisfactory answers then our stand could be different from what we took in Lok Sabha," he added.
The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there, a little past midnight on Monday after a heated debate that lasted over seven hours.
The Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha with 311 members favouring it and 80 votings against it, will now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha for its nod.
Several amendments brought by opposition members, including one by a Shiv Sena MP, were defeated either by voice vote or division.
According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
(With inputs from agencies)
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