Opposition could get numbers against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Rajya Sabha: Azad

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said the Opposition could get the required numbers in Rajya Sabha against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as parties that supported the BJP in Lok Sabha might vote against the proposed legislation in the wake of nationwide protests. The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha alleged that the Bill is "totally discriminatory and unconstitutional". The Bill has been rejected by one and all from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, he claimed.

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Ghulam Nabi Azad on Citizenship Amendment Bill

"The northeastern states are burning and there are huge protests in other parts of the country," Azad told reporters. Asked about the Opposition not having the numbers against the Bill in the Upper House, he said. 

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"Who knows, we may have the numbers. I think a better sense will prevail on most of the regional political parties and they will read through the reasons why this Bill should not be passed."

"I do not think that ever before, the northeastern states have unitedly gone against a bill passed by Parliament," the senior Congress leader told reporters.

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Ghulam Nabi Azad on protests against the Bill

Those parties that had supported the Bill in Lok Sabha did not know that there would be such vehement protests against the Bill across the country, he said. "And seeing these protests, the protests in the Northeast, south India, north India, central India and the Opposition by all religions and castes. Be it the intellectuals, the media, there is hardly any right thinking Indian who is not against this bill," Azad said. "Considering all this, I think those political parties who backed the BJP in getting the Bill passed (in Lok Sabha), after seeing the prevailing atmosphere in the country, may vote against the Bill (in Rajya Sabha)," he said.

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