SC issues notice to Centre on plea against amended Citizenship Bill

New Delhi The Supreme Court Wednesday sought a response from the Centre on a plea challenging the Citizenship Amendment Bill which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to nonMuslims from Bangladesh Pakistan and AfghanistanThe apex court had earlier decided to keep the plea pending saying that it would be taken up only after the Citizenship Act Amendment Bill consideration of which is now stated to be pending before the Rajya Sabha reaches its finalityA bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi which recently considered the plea for an urgent hearing on the PIL Wednesday ordered Issue notice returnable in six weeksThe bench also comprising Justices LN Rao and Sanjiv Khanna was hearing the petition filed by the Nagarikatwa Aain Songsudhan Birodhi Mancha Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill which has sought to declare the Passport Entry into India Amendment Rules 2015 and the Foreigners Amendment Order as discriminatory arbitrary and illegalThe bill has been cleared by the Lok Sabha and it would now be presented in the Upper House of ParliamentThe bill passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8 provides for according Indian citizenship to the Hindus Jains Christians Sikhs Buddhists and Parsis who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of the 12 years currently even if they do not possess any documentIt also seeks to provide relief to the persecuted migrants who have come through the western borders of the country to states like Gujarat Rajasthan Delhi Madhya Pradesh etc the home minister had saidThe PIL opposed the bill on the ground that it had introduced religion as a new principle into the citizenship law and termed it as communally motivated humanitarianismNever before has religion been specifically identified in the citizenship law as a ground for distinguishing between citizens and noncitizens It has introduced religion as a new principle into the citizenship law and can be conveniently branded as communally motivated humanitarianismThe illegal immigrants who are to be granted the benefit of this legislation are to qualify for citizenship only on the basis of religion a requirement that goes against one of the basic tenets of the Indian Constitution secularism it saidIt further claimed that the direct and inevitable effect of the bill would be the dilution of the Assam Accord inked in 1985 which presently made anyone entering Assam from Bangladesh after March 24 1971 an illegal immigrantThe amendment defeats the purpose of the accord and opens the floodgates to more illegal immigration and consequently increases claims on diminishing resources The transformation of migrants hitherto perceived as illegal encroachers into legitimate citizens cannot be justified it saidThe plea further claimed that the bill had the potential to derail and nullify the gains made by updating the National Register of Citizens NRC in AssamMany persons who could not otherwise establish their claims and were therefore excluded from the draft NRC published recently can now take shelter under this and subsequently become legitimate Indian citizens at the cost of the indigenous people of Assam it saidThe petition further alleged that Assam had repeatedly witnessed ethnic clashes and violence which were arising out of existential threat perceptions fear of being reduced to minority in ones own homeland and giving up territories to foreigners and imposition of foreign or alien cultureThe PIL sought directions to the Centre the Ministry of External Affairs and the Assam government to declare the Passport Entry into India Amendment Rules 2015 and the Foreigners Amendment Order as discriminatory arbitrary and illegalIt further sought directions to the Centre to constitute a National Immigration Commission or any other appropriate body to frame a National Immigration Policy and a National Refugee PolicyCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get the latest updatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever