Jairam Ramesh Moves Supreme Court Against Citizenship Amendment Act, Says It Violates 'Right To Equality'

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday moved the Supreme Court against the Citizenship Amendment Act on Friday. The leader said that the contentious law was against the ‘right to equality’. Ramesh alleged that the Citizenship Amendment Act violates right to equality by not granting citizenship to persecuted Muslims from neighbouring countries to get Indian citizenship. The law has sparked massive protests in the Northeast. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also challenged the amended Citizenship Act. Moitra's counsel mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, who asked him to approach the mentioning officer. The counsel told the bench that the plea be listed either during the day or on December 16.

The Modi government’s contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) got the assent of President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday. Now that the bill got President’s nod, it has become an act. The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, completing the legislative procedure for giving Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Replying to a six-and-a-half-hour debate on the bill, Home Minister Amit Shah said the legislation seeks to provide citizenship to persecuted minorities in the three countries and not take away citizenship of anyone.

He rejected the Opposition charge that the bill was against Muslims and said they have nothing to fear. The Bill was passed with 125 votes in favour and 105 against it. Besides BJP, its allies such as JD-U and SAD, the legislation was supported by AIADMK, BJD, TDP and YSR-Congress.

Earlier the House rejected motions to send the bill to a select committee of the House with 124 members voting against it as compared to 99 in its favour. The House also rejected several amendments moved by opposition members to the bill, most by voice vote. The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on Monday. It will now go to the President for his assent.