New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh if they faced persecution in their countries.
Union Minister for information and broadcasting Prakash Javadekar made the announcement at a briefing here this morning.
The contentious bill is set to be tabled next week in Parliament in the current Winter Session.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday met several politicians and activists of Northeast states including the Chief Ministers of Manipur, Nagaland, and Assam to discuss the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Apart from the Chief Ministers of the three states, the activists of North-East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP), Manipur People Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MANPAC) and members of the civil society were also present in the meeting at Assam Bhavan here.
Opposition parties including Congress among others have opposed the Bill arguing that the Constitution does not permit granting of citizenship on the basis of religion.