Mayawati calls existing form of Citizenship Amendment Bill 'divisive, unconstitutional'

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday termed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), which is likely to be tabled in the Parliament on Monday, as "divisive and unconstitutional" and said that it went against the secular and humtarian ideology of the Constitution framed by Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.

"The CAB brought hastily by the Centre is divisive and unconstitutional, this is meant to create distinction for citizenship and amongst the public on the basis of religion, which goes against the humtarian and secular ideology, which is the founding structure of the Constitution written by Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar. Therefore, BSP does not agree with the existing form of the Bill," Mayawati told media, according to a press release by the BSP.

The CAB was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. It seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghstan and Bangladesh if they faced persecution in their countries.

Mayawati said that the central government should reconsider the Bill and send it to a parliamentary committee for discussion before putting it in front of the public but added that "if the central government takes the right decision for the benefit of the country and its people then our party will rise above politics to support it, as it by supporting the government in the case of Article 370."

The BSP chief welcomed the move of extending the 'reservation for scheduled caste and scheduled tribes' in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for another 10 years.

She also requested the centre to fill up the reserved posts for SC and ST candidates in various state and central government jobs, which are lying vacant in the country and also implored it to take measures to provide reservations in private sector jobs.

( With inputs from ANI )