'CAA is internal issue of India': Maldives Speaker exudes trust in country's Parliament

On Friday, Maldives Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed commented on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act calling it an "internal issue" of India. He also urged people to have "trust in the Indian democracy." Nasheed who is also the former President of Maldives is on a visit to India at the joint invitation of Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Read: Rahul Gandhi accuses PM Modi & Amit Shah of 'ethnic cleansing' in North East with CAB

"Well it is an internal issue of India. We have trust in Indian democracy. The process went through in both the houses of the Parliament. It is not for us to comment upon it," said the Maldives speaker. 

Read: Exempt entire North East from purview of Amended Citizenship Act: Agatha to PM

According to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, non-Muslim minorities, who fled religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and moved to India before December 31, 2014, will be accorded Indian citizenship. It, however, exempted tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura, as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution, and areas covered under The Inner Line Permit system, notified under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. On Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 (CAB) by a majority of 125-105 votes.

Read: PM Modi assures 'brothers & sisters' of Assam: You've nothing to worry over CAB

North East protest

Large parts of the northeast are simmering over protests by students' unions and Left-democratic organizations against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha. Huge processions were taken out in different areas of Guwahati, with protesters raising slogans against the emotive legislation. In Tripura, agitators participating in a bandh called by the NESO set a market, where shops were owned mostly by non-tribals, on fire in Dhalai district, police said. Incidents of tyre burning and vandalisation of vehicles were reported in Meghalaya capital Shillong, as protesters lobbed Molotov cocktails at a police vehicle damaging it in Mawlai area.

Read: Protests in Northeast continue against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

Read: Strong action against those involved in violence: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal

(with ANI inputs)