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New Delhi: The Shiv Sena has decided to support the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill even as its coalition partners in Maharashtra — the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — remain non-committal, saying they will decide their stand later.

The bill proposes to make non-Muslim illegal migrants of six communities — Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists — from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh eligible for Indian citizenship. It is said to be a precursor to the national register of citizens (NRC) that the NDA government has promised to implement across the country.

The Lok Sabha had passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in January but it lapsed after the dissolution of the House.

“We will support the bill as it is against the infiltrators and will also help give citizenship rights to persecuted Hindus, Jains and Buddhists living in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The bill should not be misused that is the only thing,” said Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant.

Another Shiv Sena MP, Anil Desai, confirmed to ThePrint that the party will support it. “We will support the bill in the Rajya Sabha once it is tabled,” he said.

“We have not changed our colours. We are still the same and this bill is against the infiltrators and we will support it. This support is on ideology and what we believe in,” said a Shiv Sena leader who did not want to be named.

Also read: Why is Assam opposing citizenship bill and how it is different from NRC update exercise

The Shiv Sena’s stand could queer the pitch for its new allies in Maharashtra as they seek to strike a delicate balance between their secular credentials and the compulsion of not being seen or projected as supporters of Muslim infiltrators.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Wednesday that his party would first see the bill before taking a stand on it.

“We haven’t taken any decision yet,” NCP leader D.P. Tripathi told ThePrint.

The Congress, NCP and Lalu Yadav’s RJD have criticised the bill, saying the Constitution does not differentiate on the basis of religion.

The bill is likely to be tabled in Parliament next week. On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had asked the BJP parliamentary party members to be present in Parliament when Home Minister Amit Shah tables the bill next week.

BJP leaders are quite confident of its smooth passage as they are hopeful of getting the support of the JD(U), the AIADMK, among others, in the Rajya Sabha. As the BJP has a clear majority in Lok Sabha, the bill will be approved there easily.

Also read: Modi’s new citizenship law will rip open the wounds of Partition

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