Shiv Sena will not back CAB in Rajya Sabha unless govt debates bill, answers issues raised, says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said the Shiv Sena won’t back the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha till the government answers the questions posed by the party in the Lok Sabha. Uddhav told reporters in Mumbai that a detailed discussion and debate on the Bill was necessary. The Modi government needs to worry about the economy, job crisis and rising cost of living, especially the onions price rise, more than the implementation of the Bill, he said.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray: Anyone who disagrees is a 'deshdrohi' is their illusion. We have suggested changes in #CitizenshipAmendmentBill we want in Rajya Sabha. It is an illusion that only BJP cares for the country. pic.twitter.com/pmlenyTX0d

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2019

The Lok Sabha passed the Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there, a little past midnight on Monday after a heated debate that lasted over seven hours. The Sena supported the Bill in the Lower House. “We voted yesterday to absorb various people facing brutalities in other countries but we have asked many questions. Those questions we thought would be answered, ranging from national security to the rights of locals in various states of India,” Sena leader and Uddhav’s son Aaditya quoted him as saying in a tweet. “Every party supporting or opposing it is asking for clarity in the national interest. Clarity must be ensured,” he further tweeted. “We need to change this notion that one who supports the Bill and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a patriot and one who opposes it is anti-national. The government should answer all the issues raised on the Bill,” Uddhav said. Taking a dig at the BJP, Uddhav wondered if people who have sought refuge in India and who will come under Bill’s ambit will now get more onions. “The BJP feels that anyone who disagrees (with it) is a ‘deshdrohi’ (traitor),” Uddhav said. The Sena has suggested changes it wants to be included in the Bill in Rajya Sabha, he said. “Where will these refugees stay… in which state. All this should be clarified,” he added. “We raised some questions but they were not answered. It is an illusion that only the BJP cares for the country,” Uddhav said. “We don’t take a stand based on who likes it or not,” he said when asked about his party’s stance on the Bill. With inputs from PTI