‘Insidious’ CAB will wreck statute, fail court test: P Chidamabaram

NEW DELHI: In his first speech in Parliament after his release on bail, Congress MP and former Union minister P Chidamabaram on Wednesday termed the Citizenship Amendment Bill as nothing but an attempt by BJP to advance its “Hindutva agenda”, which will wreck the Constitution, expressing confidence that the “insidious” legislation will be struck down by court.
“A small part of the Constitution is sought to be wrecked and demolished by this insidious bill.Fortunately, we are three organs of the state. The executive is complicit, the legislature is being invited to collaborate, hopefully the judiciary will strike it down and will save India and the idea of India,” Chidambaram said during debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha. “This govt is ramming through this bill in order to advance its Hindutva agenda.”
“How do you group three countries Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh and leave out the other neighbours. How do you identify only six religious groups Hindu, Sikhs, Buddhist, Jains, Parsis and Christians and leave out others like Ahmadiyyas, Hazaras and Rohingyas. Also Abrahamic religions are three — Christianity, Judaism and Islam —why have you included Christianity and left out the other two,” he said.
Even as Congress led the charge against Citizenship Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha, other opposition parties alleged that the legislation discriminates against refugees on the basis of religion, which is “unconstitutional”.
The opposition attack on the bill saw parties like DMK, TRS, CPI, CPM, BSP, RJD and PDP, among others, oppose the bill. On the other hand, AIADMK, YSRCP, TDP, SAD and others rallied around the legislation with some members giving suggestions to include Lankan Tamil Hindus. Ram Chandra Prasad Singh (JDU) supported the bill, but said the party would not lag behind in opposing any discrimination on the basis of religion.