Senior CPI(M) leader Md Salim on Monday alleged that the Citizensip Amendment Bill seeks to complete the "unfinished task" of the Sangh Parivar to establish "racial supremacy" in the country.
Salim also claimed that the objective of the bill is not to grant citizenship, but to divide people.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which proposes to give Indian nationality to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan facing religious persecution there, was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday.
"The intention of the bill is to complete the unfinished task of the Sangh Parivar of creating a Hindutva state and to establish racial supremacy in the country," the CPI(M) politburo member told reporters here.
"Citizenship cannot be decided on the basis of caste, creed, race, religion and language," he added.
The entire exercise is aimed at creating a fascist state, Salim asserted.
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"Why (non-Muslim refugees from) Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan only. Why not from other countries," he said.
The senior CPI(M) leader said the government should first come up with a refugee policy before introducing the citizenship bill.
The proposed legislation violates Article 14 of the Constitution, and is against its spirit, he said.
"There are so many burning issues in the country. But, the government is trying to sweep them under the carpet by tabling this bill," Salim said.