31,313 immigrants will be benefited if CAB is passed
Guwahati: With the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, a total of 31,313 immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh from non-Muslim communities who have been living on Long Term Visa after they sought refugee will be benefited from the said bill.
The Intelligence Bureau (IB) report submitted to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) said that five religious communities from these three countries have applied for citizenship. According to the reports, there are 31,313 persons belonging to minority communities (Hindus-25,447, Sikhs-5,807, Christians-55, Buddhists- 2 and Parsis- 2) who have been granted a long term visa based on their claims on religious persecution in their respective countries and that they want citizenship.
According to a report, majority of the immigrants who have been issued long term visa's are from Pakistan though there is no religion-wise breakup of them. The report also stated that 31,313 people could be subjected to fresh security vetting before their application is processed.
The JPC however, considered the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Lok Sabha but it is getting tough to pass it in the Rajya Sabha by the Narendra Modi government as it will be difficult to convince its own NDA allies especially in the Northeast.
Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), an ally of BJP has announced that they will send a delegation to the Northeast on January 28 and 29 where they will meet the protest leaders who is protesting against the bill. The party also assured that it will vote against the bill in the Rajya Sabha joining another BJP ally Shiv Sena who has also made their opposition clear.
While the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang have already left the NDA opposing against the bill, there are also reports of growing discontent among the BJP leaders from the Northeast where the party is in power in the seven states.
Moreover, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma too are reportedly upset over the bill though they have maintained silence publically.
The bill has faced stiff resistance from the Northeast, among the indigenous communities who fear that they will become marginalized in their own land if it is passed.