The Citizenship Amendment bill seeking to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from Bangaldesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan was passed by Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The Bill provides for Indian citizenship to such immigrants after six years of residence in India instead of 12 years currently. Assuring that Assamese identity would be safeguarded, Rajnath Singh said that the bill will apply to the entire country and not just Assam.

A bill seeking to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims communities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.The bill seeks to make minority immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who have entered India before December 31, 2014 eligible for Indian citizenship..has been passed in the Lok Sabha.Home Minister Rajnath Singh moved the Citizenship Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha on Tuesday and was passed after a discussion.

The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955 in order to grant citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan if they have lived in India for six years.

Union Home Minister clarified that the Act is not confined to the state of Assam. The Bill will apply to all states and union territories of the country.The minority immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan will get relief.Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan will get the citizenship.

The minimum residency period for citizenship reduced from existing 12 years under the present law to 7 years.The bill will not just be restricted to Assam..but will be for other states too..those who will get the citizenship will be able to live in any part of the country.During the discussion of the bill..some parties supported it and others opposed.

Replying to the discussion, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government is determined to implement the NRC and that there will be no discrimination in NRC. He added all the necessary steps will be taken to deal with illegal immigrants.

Home Minister also made it clear that several steps have been taken to implement the Assam Accord. He also mentioned that the government has notified a high-level committee for the implementation of clause 6 of the Assam Accord. which will submit its report within 6 months.

Earlier, the Bill that provides for regulation of use and application of DNA technology for establishing the identity of certain categories of persons, including offenders, victims, suspects and undertrials was passed in Lok Sabha.