"Muslims bigger patriots": Azam Khan

Samajwadi Party (SP) and Lok Sabha MP Azam Khan has said that Muslims had the choice to go to Pakistan following partition in 1947, but opted not to do so, and are therefore bigger "patriots" than those who did not have that choice.

"In 1947, the country was partitioned. Those who did not go to Pakistan, they had a choice. No one else had that choice except Muslims. Those who did not go to Pakistan are bigger patriots than those who did not have that option. If this is the punishment for their patriotism, then what can I say as it seems that only heads are counted in democracy, not brains," Khan told on Tuesday after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees who came from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghstan on or before December 31, 2014.

The SP leader alleged that the opposition was not heard by the government during the debate on the Bill.

"The decision (passing of the CAB) was based on power (numerical superiority). The opposition does not have the numbers and so they were not heard. In a good democracy, the government should listen to the opposition and consider what they have to say," he said.

The CAB Bill was passed in Lok Sabha with 311 MPs voting in favour of the bill and 80 voting against it.

It will be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. BJP-led NDA requires the support of at least 123 MPs in the 245-member house for the bill to be passed.

( With inputs from ANI )