“Muslims need not fear,” Amit Shah says on CAB in Rajya Sabha; discussion & voting on bill today

The much debated Citizenship Amendment Bill is being tabled in the Rajya Sabha today. It is likely to go for voting after several hours of discussion. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha shortly after midnight of Tuesday.

Six hours have been allotted for discussion of the bill. During the initial discussion on the bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Muslims need not fear, and it does not mean that all Muslims from all countries should be given citizenship of India. “I will answer all your questions, but do not walk out and listen to what I reply,” Shah said.

With the total strength of Rajya Sabha being 240, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will need a majority of at least 121 to pass the bill. However, BJP alone has a strength of 83 members in the house. Among its partners in the NDA, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has 11 MPs, Janata Dal (United) has six, Shiromani Akali Dal has three and there is one MP each from Lok Janshakti Party, Republican Party of India (Athawale), Asom Gana Parishad, Bodoland People’s Front and Paattali Makkal Katchi.

This takes the strength of NDA to 108. The parties outside of the NDA that supported the Bill in Lok Sabha have the following strength in Rajya Sabha: Biju Janata Dal (7), Shiv Sena (3), YSR Congress Party (2) and Telugu Desam Party (2). Apart from that, four out of six independent MPs and three out of four nominated MPs in the house are also expected to lend their support to the Bill, according to various news reports. This takes the total number in support of the Bill to 129, which is eight more than half the strength of the house. BJP thus expects to clear the bill although it doesn’t have the required numbers to pass the bill.
However, this also means things are a bit uncertain for the BJP, which is relying mostly on support from its allies. Shiv Sena, although voted for the bill in Lok Sabha had officially said yesterday that it would not vote for it in the Rajya Sabha until some of the features stated in it are made clear. Similarly, JD(U)’s vice-president Prashant Kishor had criticised his party for voting for the bill yesterday. AIADMK also is under pressure for supporting the bill as it excludes Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka. Some of the major parties which have taken an official stand to oppose the bill are Congress, Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party and Aam Aadmi Party among others.