Protests are being held in parliament against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, a day after the controversial legislation cleared Lok Sabha after a nearly seven-hour long debate during Parliament's Winter Session. Home Minister Amit Shah also said peace has prevailed in Jammu and Kashmir since the scrapping of Article 370.
On Monday, the Citizenship Amendment Bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha around midnight with 311 voting in support and 80 against. Union Home Minister Amit Shah rejected the opposition criticism that it violates the constitution's core principles of equality, saying it was not even "0.001% against India's minorities".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Lok Sabha minutes after the legislation was passed. "Delighted that the Lok Sabha has passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, after a rich and extensive debate. I thank the various MPs and parties that supported the bill. This bill is in line with India's centuries-old ethos of assimilation and belief in humanitarian values," he tweeted.
