Citizenship Bill: Parliamentary Committee Chairman Says It’s Last Opportunity For JPC to Submit Report

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Committee chairman Rajendra Agrawal said that this is the last session of Parliament, though there is still the Budget Session later. He said this is the "last opportunity" for the JPC to present its report now, and if it fails to do so, he said, it would have "failed" in its purpose.

New Delhi: The Parliamentary Committee looking into the Bill to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, is slated to meet on Monday, December 31 to discuss the several aspects of the Bill and finalise them before it is submitted to the Lok Sabha. The bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in August 2016.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Committee chairman Rajendra Agrawal said that this is the last session of Parliament, though there is still the Budget Session later. He said this is the “last opportunity” for the JPC to present its report now, and if it fails to do so, he said, it would have “failed” in its purpose. He said they would try to “build consensus on the report”, but if that does not happen it may go to vote.

The controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill may not able to get through during the Winter session of Parliament which comes to an end on January 8, sources said Sunday. A meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which is examining the bill, will be held on Monday to finalise the proposed legislation before being submitted to the Lok Sabha.

The bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant Indian nationality to people belonging to minority communities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians — in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12, even if they don’t possess any proper document. This was an election promise of the BJP in 2014.

“The bill is likely to be tabled in the Lok Sabha either on January 7 or 8. There is very little time for debate before it is passed in the Lower House and then in the Rajya Sabha,” a source privy to the deliberations told PTI. However, in Monday’s meeting, the BJP may have its way in incorporating some “contentious” provisions in the proposed legislation.

(With PTI inputs)