Rajya Sabha passes Citizenship Amendment Bill amid protests

The Upper House of Parliament cleared the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on Wednesday. 125 Members of Rajya Sabha voted for the bill, while 105 voted against it. A day earlier, the Lok Sabha had passed the legislation. The Parliament witnessed heated debates, with the Opposition objecting to religion-based criteria for granting of citizenship, alleging violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. However, the government remained firm, claiming that the Right to Equality is not violated by granting refuge to victims of religious persecution from neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, parts of the North-East witnessed fierce protests against the legislation. Curfew was imposed in Assam's Guwahati.