Jyotiraditya Scindia: CAB is against basic spirit of Constitution and Indian culture

Amid the ongoing debate in the Rajya Sabha over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia took to the micro-blogging website Twitter, to express his displeasure over the Bill. Scindia, in his tweet, said that the Bill was completely against the basic spirit of the Indian Constitution and also contradicts the Indian culture.

The Congress leader stated that the Indian culture follows 'Vasudev Kutumbam' which means all human beings are one big family and the bill was against it. He added that Ambedkar did not distinguish people on the grounds of religion and caste while framing the constitution. 

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Scindia on CAB

CAB number game 

After the hours-long debate in the Lok Sabha on Monday which eventually led to the passage of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill after midnight with 311 MPs in favour and 80 in opposition, the 240-seat Rajya Sabha continues to debate over the contentious Bill, that seeks to give citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan escaping religious persecution there. The BJP-led NDA government would need the backing of at least 121 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, to seek a majority for the passage of the Bill. 

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The BJP has 83 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. Its allies including Nitish Kumar's JD(U) has 6, Akali Dal (SAD) has 3 MPs and RPI(A) has 1 in the House. However, in the process, a division of opinion over the Bill was witnessed within the JD(U), with Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Varma and party vice president Prashant Kishor contending the 'discriminatory' Bill. 

Apart from BJP's allies- AIADMK with 11 MPs, Naveen Patnaik's BJD with 7 MPS, LJP with 1 MP, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP with 2 MPs are expected to back the Bill.

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With a total of 113 MPs in disagreement, plus 6 Others, the opposition of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill tallies up to 119. The tabling of the emotive Bill comes even as there were protests and incidents of violence in Northeastern states with most of the student unions and regional political parties opposing it, saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

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