india

Updated: Dec 05, 2019 08:13 IST

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) , which faced no hurdles in nullifying Article 370 that divested Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, in bifurcating the state into two Union territories and in enacting the triple talaq bill that criminalized the Muslim practice of instant divorce, is hoping for a replay when the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill comes to the Rajya Sabha.

The draft bill, which seeks to fast-track Indian citizenship for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Sikhs and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, is facing resistance from some Opposition parties in the upper house, where the BJP is still short of a majority. The party says the proposed legislation is aimed at helping the persecuted minorities of the Muslim-majority nations.

“Parties rose over narrow considerations to pass the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Reorganisation Bill; similarly they supported the Triple Talaq Bill; we are expecting that they will vote for safeguarding the rights of those who need protection,” said a senior BJP leader.

A second party leader, who is also a member of the Rajya Sabha where the BJP and its allies have 116 seats, said the party is confident of getting the support of 122 MPs and is expecting more.

The current strength of the House is 238.

“During the J&K Reorganisation Bill, we got support from parties such as the BJD [Biju Janata Dal], BSP [Bahujan Samaj Party] and the YSRCP [YSR Congress Party], though these are not part of the National Democratic Alliance {NDA}.

“We feel outreach on an issue that affects a large number of people can help us garner support,” the second leader said.

An MP from the YSRCP said the party will support the bill as it aims for “protective discrimination”.

An MP from the Janata Dal (United), which had walked out during the vote on the triple talaq bill, said the party will support the BJP on the CAB.

Some members of the Shiv Sena, which has parted ways with the NDA, said they will take a call on the CAB after going through the draft bill, but added that the party will not let its common minimum programme with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra limit its options on national issues.

“The common minimum programme is limited to Maharashtra alone; on national issues we can take an informed decision,” a party member said on condition of anonymity.