Citizenship Amendment Act: TMC MP Moves Supreme Court Challenging Citizenship Amendment Act 

The United Nations is closely analysing the possible consequences of India's amended Citizenship Act, a spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres has said, insisting that the world body has its basic principles, including those enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and expect those to be upheld.

"We're aware that the lower and upper houses of the Indian Parliament have passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill, and we're also aware of the concerns that have been publicly expressed. The United Nations is closely analysing the possible consequences of the law," Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq said Thursday during the daily press briefing.

Haq was responding to a question on whether the Secretary-General has a comment on the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Haq added that he would also like to draw attention to the fact that some of the UN human rights mechanisms, including rapporteurs, “have already been expressing their concerns about the nature of this law, and you can see those from the Human Rights Office.” On whether there will be any statement after the UN completes its analysis of the possible consequences of the law, Haq said “we'll have to see what the nature of our reaction needs to be. Right now, we are in the process of analysing the features of this.

"And as I mentioned a few days earlier, of course, we have our basic principles, including those enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and expect those to be upheld,” he said.

Under the Opposition's attack over the amended Citizenship Act, the BJP is set to launch a public awareness programme to inform people about its features and benefits, and also "dispel the propaganda" that the legislation is against any community.

Though the party intends to start a nation-wide campaign, it will run an intensive exercise in states where the legislation's beneficiaries are in large numbers.  West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh told PTI that the party will launch a mass contact programme and distribute literature about the law. He estimated that over two crore people can get Indian citizenship under the amended Act.

At many places, the campaign will start from Saturday, a day after the Winter Session of Parliament ends.

TMC leader Mahua Moitra moved the Supreme Court challenging the amended Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which got Presidential assent on Thursday night.

Moitra's counsel mentioned the matter on Friday for urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, who asked him to approach the mentioning officer.

Moitra's counsel told the bench that the plea be listed either during the day or on Dec. 16.

President Ram Nath Kovind had on Thursday night gave his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, turning it into an Act.

According to the Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till Dec. 31, 2014, and facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

The amended Citizenship Act will not impact the rights of Goans holding Portuguese passport, the State NRI Commission clarified on Friday.

The clarification came after the opposition Congress sought to know the fate of Goans holding Portuguese passport following Parliament's approval to the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (CAB). President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday gave his assent to the bill, turning it into an Act.

On Thursday, state Congress spokesman Trajano D'Mello had criticised the provisions of the Act and said Christian ministers in the BJP government in Goa, a former Portuguese colony, should spell out their stand on the controversial legislation.

NRI commissioner Narendra Sawaikar asked the Congress to stop playing "divisive politics" on the issue.

"How and why will CAB bill divide India? It will not affect the rights of Goan passport holders before or after the CAB Bill," Sawaikar tweeted reacting to Congress statements.

"@INCIndia & @GoaCongress should stop playing divisive politics. India had it enough. Such tricks will not work," he said on Twitter.

D'Mello hadsaid "So many Goans opted for Portuguese passport because the government (here) has failed to provide them employment. The only purpose to get a Portuguese passport was to survive."

The parliamentary passage of the bill, which amended the Citizenship Act, 1955, marked the "darkest day" for the Constitution, the Congress spokesman had said.

Pictures Of Protest Against The Citizenship Amendment Act From Dec. 12

(Image Source: PTI)

A day after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday lashed out at the BJP-led government and said the "unconstitutional Bill" will have no place in his state and they will not implement it.

While asking the people to oppose the Bill, Vijayan claimed that the proposed law is a rejection of secularism and the saffron party has made it clear that its main political plank is communalism.

"The Act is unconstitutional.. Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) will have no place in Kerala and it will not be implemented in the State," Vijayan told reporters.

He also tweeted that democracy in the country was in danger.

"...With CAB, Sangh Parivar has used the majority they enjoy in the parliament to uproot the bedrock of Indian democracy & Constitution. It's a rejection of secularism. BJP has made it clear that their main political plank is communalism. We must resist," Vijayan said in a tweet.

Addressing reporters, he said the Centre was trying to realise the dream of "Savarkar and Golvakar to divide India along communal lines" through the CAB.

"The state government will question the validity of this black law at all possible platforms. The Supreme Court has repeatedly made it clear that secularism is the foundation of the country's constitution. Through this law, the centre is trying to create a communal divide," Vijayan said.

He said the country is well-known as a nation where people belonging to various castes, creed and religions live together harmoniously.

"This is a land where thousands of Muslim brothers came to settle during partition after leaving religious Pakistan for a secular India. The primitive politics of RSS compares India with Pakistan and insists on implementing their ideas," Vijayan said.

Sentiments ran high against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment Bill) in Assam on Thursday, as people came out on the streets despite inconveniences caused by the imposition of curfew on parts of the state.

As the day wore on, a large number of people assembled at several places in the state capital, many holding placards and raising slogans against the emotive legislation.

An indefinite curfew has been imposed on Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Tezpur and Dhekiajuli, while night curfew is in force on Jorhat, Tinsukia, Golaghat and Charaideo districts.

Internet services in 10 districts were suspended for another 48 hours beginning 12 pm to prevent "misuse" of social media to disturb peace and tranquillity, and to maintain law and order, officials said.

Damayanti Deka, 70, said she decided to hit the streets despite her frailties for the larger cause of the Assamese community.

"I am old and I cannot even walk properly. Still, I have come out because it is about my existence and identity," Deka told PTI at Ulubari here.

She said the curfew has caused inconvenience but her family is ready to bear it for the "betterment of the state" as the bill will "endanger" the Assamese community. The septuagenarian held a placard that read: "We don't want CAB".

Another Ulubari resident, Mayuri Bora, who is in her mid-30s, said the central government has committed a mistake by clearing the citizenship bill.

"It will jeopardise the state's development. How can someone talk about development by bringing in more illegal immigrants? We do not want them," she said.

Bora said she is finding it difficult to run her kitchen, as shops were closed after the indefinite curfew was imposed.

Tamal Roy, who was on board the Donyi Polo Express from Itanagar, reached Guwahati station on Thursday morning, where he had to keep waiting as auto-rickshaws turned him down, citing the closure of fuel depots.

Roy told PTI that he and two other passengers finally managed to get hold of one auto-rickshaw, which took them to a particular point from where they had to travel on foot to reach their destination.

Anil Barua, a Dibrugarh resident, said the protests should not turn violent since it will derail the main objective.

"If violence takes place, the administration will be strict and we will not be able to convince them regarding the withdrawal of the bill. The curfew is a result of violence," he said.

Several passengers at the LGB International Airport and Guwahati Railway Station were stranded on Thursday, due to either cancellation or delay of flights and trains, the officials said.

The civil aviation ministry had earlier said the movement of passengers at Dibrugarh airport in Assam has been disrupted, owing to blockage of road transportation to and from the aerodrome. The stranded passengers have been evacuated in a phased manner, the ministry said in a series of tweets.

Guwahati resembled a garrison town with Army, paramilitary and state police personnel stationed in every nook and corner, watching helplessly, as frenzied mobs blocked roads with burning discarded tyres and menaced commuters by bludgeoning their vehicles with sticks and stones.

A group of student organisations held a protest at the Delhi University on Thursday against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The meeting was called by students' bodies like the SFI and Pinjra Tod under the banner Collective-DU at the arts faculty in the campus.

Police said they had to open fire in Lalung Gaon area in Guwahati after stones were hurled by protestors. The agitators claimed that at least four persons were injured in the shooting.

Police also had to fire in the air in several other areas of the city, including the Guwahati-Shillong Road which turned into a war zone as protestors vandalised shops and buildings, burnt tyres and clashed with security forces.

Students' body AASU and peasants' organisation KMSS called for a mega gathering at Latashil playground in the city, which was attended by hundreds of people.

Notwithstanding the restrictions, several prominent personalities from the film and music industry, including icon Zueen Garg, joined the gathering along with college and university students.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal have betrayed the people of Assam by ensuring passage of the Bill," AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said at the meet.

Leaders of the AASU and the North East Students' Organizatios said they will observe Dec. 12 as 'Black Day' every year in protest against the passage of the Bill in Parliament.

Kamrup district witnessed an absolute shutdown with offices, schools and colleges closed for the day. Shops were also shut, with no transport plying as all major roads, including the NH 31, being blocked.

Police said they had to fire three rounds in the air in Rangia town as protestors threw stones and burnt tyres.

Agitators were also baton-charged at several places in the town.

Police also fired in the air in Golaghat district to disperse protesters who blocked the NH 39, officials said.

Tea garden workers stopped work in Lakhimpur and Charaideo districts and also at Numaligarh in Golaghat district and some areas in Tinsukia district.

All educational institutions across the state are closed.

Five columns of the Army have been deployed in different parts of the state and are conducting flag marches in Guwahati, Tinsukia, Jorhat and Dibrugarh, officials said.

The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued an advisory to private satellite TV channels to be particularly cautious about airing content that is likely to incite violence, promote "anti-national attitudes" and contain anything affecting the integrity of the nation.

On various occasions in the past, the ministry has issued advisories for private satellite TV channels to broadcast content strictly in adherence to the programme and advertising codes as prescribed in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, and the rules framed thereafter, it said.

The advisory reiterated that all TV channels are advised to be particularly cautious with regard to any content that is likely to encourage or incite violence, contains anything against maintenance of law and order or promotes "anti-national attitudes".

It also cautioned against content having anything affecting the integrity of the nation.

The advisory asked the channels to ensure that no such content, which is violative of these codes, is telecast.

Airlines on Thursday cancelled flights to various cities in Assam in the wake of unrest in the state.

With respect to the ongoing unrest situation in Assam, a few Guwahati and Dibrugarh-bound flights have been cancelled on Thursday, an IndiGo spokesperson said in a statement.

"We are operating relief flights at capped fares for passengers who are currently at these locations," the statement said.

The airline has waived rescheduling/cancellation for passengers travelling to and from Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Jorhat till Dec. 13.

In a tweet, Vistara said it has cancelled flights "as per government advice due to current disturbances in Assam".

"Flight UK725 (IXB-DIB) and UK726 (DIB-IXB) are cancelled for today. We are offering free change/cancellation to Guwahati and Dibrugarh flights through Sunday, Dec. 15," it said.

An Air India spokesperson said that only its flights between Kolkata and Dibrugarh have been cancelled.

A GoAir spokesperson said the airline has cancelled flights to Assam on Thursday.

Calls and messages to Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola seeking comments on the ministry's advisory to cancel flights to Assam did not elicit any immediate response.

The Railways has suspended all passenger train services in Tripura and Assam, and short-terminated long-distance trains at Guwahati following protests in the two states over the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, a railway spokesperson told PTI on Thursday.

The decision was taken on Wednesday night in view of the security situation in the region, Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda said, adding many passengers are stranded in Kamakhya and Guwahati.

"Passengers are stranded and we are trying to help them as much as possible. We are mulling to run special trains to ferry these passengers, but are still weighing if the risk is worth it.

"It might be a security threat for passengers if protesters stop the trains. As of now all passenger trains have been suspended and trains from outside the region are being short terminated at Guwahati," Chanda said.

After a railway station in Dibrugarh's Chabua, the hometown of the Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, was set on fire by protestors late on Wednesday night and the Panitola railway station in Tinsukia district torched, 12 companies of the Railway Protection Special Force have been dispatched to the region, DG of RPF Arun Kumar told PTI.

Seven companies of the force are already stationed in the region, the DG of RPF said, adding that he was in touch with the local police to secure railway installations in the region.

Officials in Delhi said that all local passenger trains in Tinsukia, Lumbding and Rangia Divisions have been cancelled. No trains are moving beyond Guwahati, they said.

In an attempt to reach out the people of Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured them on Thursday that they had nothing to worry after the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, even as the northeastern state continued to simmer against the contentious legislation.

A day after the bill was passed in Parliament, Modi, in a series of tweets in both English and Assamese, said the identity of the people of Assam will be preserved and will continue to grow.

In reaction to this, the Indian National Congress replied to the Prime Minister’s tweet, saying the people in the state cannot read his "reassuring" message as the internet there has been cut-off.

The people defied curfew in Guwahati on Thursday morning to protest against the Citizen (Amendment) Bill as the situation remained tense throughout Assam, with the Army conducting flag march in the city.

Guwahati, the epicentre of anti-CAB protests, was placed under indefinite curfew last night while the Army was called in at four places and Assam Rifles personnel were deployed in Tripura on Wednesday as the two northeastern states plunged into chaos over the hugely emotive Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB.

All Assam Student's Union has called for a protest at 11 a.m. in Guwahati.

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti appealed to the people to come out on the road for peaceful protest.

The people were on the road in the night despite curfew.

Army conducted a flag march in the city on Thursday morning. Vehicles were stranded in various cities of Assam due to heavy blockade. Half-a dozen vehicles were burnt. The houses of Bharatiya Janata Party and Asom Gana Parishad leaders were attacked in various parts of the state.

"Curfew is on till further orders, We are monitoring the situation very closely. So far the situation is under control,' Mukesh Agrawal told PTI.

An RSS official told PTI that the organisation's office in Dibrugarh, Sadya and Tezpur were attacked. The BJP office in Tezpur was also attacked.

India's Parliament yesterday passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which changed the rules governing the granting of citizenship to undocumented migrants to include religion as a criteria. It bars undocumented Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan from seeking citizenship, but allows Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who illegally migrated to India from these regions to do so.

Adding to the fear and anxiety is that Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government has also vowed to implement a National Register of Citizens to weed out undocumented migrants similar to the one carried out in the eastern Indian state of Assam in August.

Guwahati, the epicentre of anti-CAB protests, was placed under indefinite curfew last night while the Army was called in at four places and Assam Rifles personnel were deployed in Tripura on Wednesday as the two northeastern states plunged into chaos over the hugely emotive Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB.

While protests have gripped these states into a lockdown, India’s opposition parties called the bill “absolutely unconstitutional”.

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