Citizenship (Amendment) Act to distract people from economic slowdown, says Kamal Nath

In a clear indication that he will not implement the citizenship law in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Friday alleged the Union government was practising divisive politics and using the "politics of distractions" to divert attention from the country's economic slowdown. Addressing newspersons at the Indian Women's Press Club, Nath said he was most worried about the future of the Indian youth, given the present economic state of the country.

"Anything that is divisive, we will not do it. The stand of the Congress in any law that divides society will be the stand of the MP government," Kamal Nath said  The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh also said the correct protocol before the introduction of CAB would have been to have a meeting of chief ministers with the government so that their objections and issues could be addressed. "The worst part is the politics of distraction, changing the orbit of people's imagination. Every time there is an economic slowdown, a bill is introduced, a decision is taken to distract people," the Kamal Nath said.

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Kamal Nath also said the changes being affected in the country were not "natural" but by "design". He said the government was instilling values in society which are not the "ethos" of India. Asked about the stability of his government, the CM said, "Madhya Pradesh is not Karnataka." "Before Karnataka, they had tried the same tricks of buying and selling MLAs, but they failed," he said.

States rejecting Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

Captain Amarinder Singh, Kamal Nath, Mamata Banerjee, Pinrayi Vijayan, and Bhupesh Baghel the chief ministers of Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, and Chhattisgarh respectively have withdrawn their support for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The chief ministers of the five states have refused the implementation of the Bill. According to the MHA sources, the issue of citizenship comes under Union List by the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, and therefore such amendment is applicable for all states.

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Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government in being allegedly coerced to reject the Bill, which was opposed by NCP-Congress of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Reports brimming from Maharashtra indicated that the top leaders of the Congress party could reconsider their support for the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, in case BJP's former ally, fails to refuse the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the state. 

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Parliament. President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the bill on Thursday, turning it into an Act. According to the Act, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who had come to India till Dec 31, 2014, from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan because of religious persecution will not be treated as illegal immigrants and be given Indian citizenship.

The Act says the non-Muslim refugees will be given Indian citizenship after their stay in India for five years, instead of the earlier requirement of 11 years. The Act also proposes to give immunity to such refugees facing cases as illegal immigrants. According to the legislation, it will not be applicable to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and in the areas covered under the Inner Line Permit, notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

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(With PTI inputs)