Citizenship on religious basis antithetical to our Constitution, says Owaisi

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday slammed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, saying that citizenship on religious basis is 'antithetical to our Constitution.'

"If a law confers citizenship on six groups but excludes only one, then it is a law to deny the citizenship," Owaisi tweeted.

"(Amit) Shah may not like the Constitution, but he has to work within its limits. Citizenship on the religious basis is antithetical to our Constitution and that is reason enough to oppose it," added he.

Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was enacted to give citizenship and not take it away, while also urging people to steer clear of opposition parties who are "spreading lies".

"No citizenship can be taken away by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. It was only enacted to grant citizenship. The opposition parties are spreading lies. I only want people of Gujarat to stay away from such people," Shah said at an event in Gandhinagar in Gujarat.