New Delhi:
Amid raging controversy, the United Nations on Wednesday refused to comment on the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha. When asked about the UN's response to the passage of the bill, Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "As far as I am aware, this legislation will go through a legislative process. We do not have a comment while the domestic legislative process is being carried out."
"At the same time, our concerns are only of being sure that all governments peruse non-discriminatory laws," Haq added in his weekly briefing.
On Tuesday, a federal US commission on international religious freedom said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill is a "dangerous turn in wrong direction" and sought American sanctions against Home Minister Amit Shah. In a statement issued on Monday, the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that it was deeply troubled over the passage of the bill in Lok Sabha.
"If the CAB passes in both houses of parliament, the US government should consider sanctions against the Home Minister Amit Shah and other principal leadership," the commission said.
"USCIRF is 'deeply troubled' by the passage of the CAB, originally introduced by Home Minister Shah, in the Lok Sabha given the religion criterion in the bill," it added.
After a smooth sailing in the Lok SabhAntonioa, the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is expected to face a sterner test on Wednesday when it will be taken up for discussion in Rajya Sabha. While the numbers game seem to favour the Modi government, a boost in opposition numbers has made things more interesting in the Upper House. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill passed in the Lok Sabha with 311-80 votes on Monday night, after more than seven hours of debate and discussions.
Unlike the 2016 scenario - where the bill died a silent death in Rajya Sabha - the ruling government is confident of smooth passage of the Bill in the Upper House this time. Sources in the the BJP-led NDA said they were sure of getting near 124-130 votes in Rajya Sabha which has an effective strength of 240 members. However, opposition ranks have been boosted by the decision of the six-member Telangana Rashtra Samithi to oppose the bill. The stand of former NDA member and current Congress ally Shiv Sena will also be interesting to watch. Sena, after voting for the bill in Lok Sabha, said on Tuesday it may not support the bill now. It has three members in Rajya Sabha.
