'Undemocratic, Unreasonable, Unpardonable, Unjustifiable, Unconstitutional': Vaiko On Citizenship Amendment Bill

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko used a litany of unfavourable adjectives when talking about the Citizenship Ammendment Bill 2019 during the debate in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. He termed the bill as 'obnoxious, abominable, undemocratic, unreasonable, unpardonable, unjustifiable, unconstitutional' during his speech in the Upper House.

Vaiko said that the government is ignoring Sri Lankan Tamils, who also escaped genocide, adding that 'this bill should be thrown into the Bay of Bengal'.

"If this obnoxious, abominable, undemocratic, unreasonable, unpardonable, unjustifiable, unconstitutional Bill is passed today in this Council of State, it will become a black chapter in the annals of this Upper House," Vaiko said.

Among the other parties from Tamil Nadu, AIADMK is supporting the bill while DMK will be voting against it. Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday moved the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha and sought to assuage the concerns of Indian Muslims by saying they have nothing to fear as they are and will remain citizens of India.

No one will harass members of the community, the minister stressed as he moved the bill that provides Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who illegally migrated to India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Shah said the proposed legislation will give persecuted minorities of the three neighbouring nations the right to education, jobs and livelihood.

Several MPs of opposition parties moved motions to send the bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday, to the select committee of the Upper House for detailed consideration before it is passed. The bill and the opposition motion will be put to vote after a debate on it.