The Lok Sabha on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday (9-10 December) passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) which seeks to provide refuge to persecuted minorities who have fled Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

These persecuted minorities include, “Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians”.

One of the salient features of the CAB is said to be a possible step towards India becoming a natural home for Hindus and also other minority religions persecuted in neighbouring countries.

While the BJP and its ideological supporters have firmly backed the bill, it has seen a severe backlash at the hands of opposition parties, journalists and a section of “intelligentsia”.

This opposition though has not been limited to the criticism of the bill and various personalities decided to spread fake news in a possible bid to create hysteria against it.

Whipping Up Hysteria Against CAB

Various journalists yesterday and today took to Twitter to claim that they are now receiving messages from Muslim relatives who are worried to death about their future in the country.

The journalists also implied that the citizenship of Indian Muslims would be called into question thanks to this bill and they may even face deportation.