Ahead of tabling of the Citizen (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the Shiv Sena questioned whether the "selective acceptance" of Hindu illegal immigrants will act as a trigger for a religious war in the country.
In an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena accused the Centre of apparently doing an "invisible partition" of Hindus and Muslims over the bill even as it has decided to back the draft law in the Parliament.
The bill (CAB) seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan escaping religious persecution there.
The party decided to back the contentious bill in contrast to its Maharashtra allies Congress and NCP who have opposed the bill.
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However, Sena has opposed giving voting rights to immigrant Hindus from the neighbouring countries while advocating granting of citizenship to them.
"Illegal Intruders should be thrown out. Immigrant Hindus must be given citizenship, but let's give rest to allegations of creating vote bank & not give them voting rights, what say? And yes what about Pandits, have they gone back to Kashmir after article 370 was removed?" Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut tweeted and tagged Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who will introduce the CAB in the Lower House.
Raut's comment assumes significance as he is the chief whip of the Sena in the Parliament.
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The Sena had last month parted ways with its ally BJP to form a coalition government in Maharashtra, which is headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
(With inputs from PTI)
