The Congress on Tuesday said it welcomed the Shiv Sena’s decision to reconsider its stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha after voting in favour in the Lok Sabha, and stated that as an alliance partner, it could not ask the Maharashtra party to alter its position on the issue. Earlier, in the day, Shiv Sena president and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said he would not back the Bill in the Rajya Sabha till there was clarity on questions raised by his party in the Lok Sabha.
“We are cognisant of the fact that ideologically we are different and we respect that diversity. Therefore, the alliance in Maharashtra is premised on a specific situation. I don’t think that the Shiv Sena has asked us to give up our ideological position and we do not expect them to do so, and these are the realities of real politics. To tell them not to stay true to their ideology is not correct. If the Shiv Sena is thinking of changing its stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha based on the fact that it is against the Constitution and is hurting its basic tenets, then we welcome it,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari said.
He also said not only the Congress, but all the nationalistic forces in the country will support the Shiv Sena. Tewari clarified that while the Congress had no problems with giving shelter to those being discriminated against in the neighbouring countries, but said the party demands a comprehensive and inclusive refugee law. He also asked the Government to come clean on its border policy.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi slammed the Government over the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, saying it was an “attack on the Indian Constitution”. “The CAB is an attack on the Indian constitution. Anyone who supports it is attacking and attempting to destroy the foundation of our nation,” said Rahul.
Priyanka said, “India’s tryst with bigotry and narrow minded exclusion” was confirmed as the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha at midnight. “Last night at midnight, India’s tryst with bigotry and narrow minded exclusion was confirmed as the CAB was passed in the Lok Sabha. Our forefathers gave their lifeblood for our freedom,” she said in a tweet, recalling her great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech on the midnight of August 14-15, 1947, when India rang in its Independence.
In that hard fought freedom is enshrined the right to equality, and the right to freedom of religion, Priyanka Gandhi said. “Our constitution, our citizenship, our dreams of a strong and unified India belongs to all of us,” she said in another tweet.
“We will fight against this Government’s agenda to systematically destroy our constitution and undo the fundamental premise on which our country was built with all our might,” she added. The sharp criticism of the opposition party came after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday with 311 members favouring it and 80 voting against it. The bill will now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha for its nod on Wednesday.
Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Bill was an anathema to India’s constitutional democracy. “It’s an attack on soul of India. 72 years earlier, India was partitioned by the British, Savarkar’s and Jinnah’s sinister thought and approach. Descendants of the philosophy seek to partition our foundational values once again,” he said in a tweet.
