In a big success for Modi Government, Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, completing the legislative process for giving Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a "landmark day" for India and its ethos of compassion and brotherhood, while the Opposition termed the bill, which is key part of the BJP's ideological agenda, as "unconstitutional", "divisive" and "an assault on the democratic and secular fabric of the nation".
In a strongly-worded statement issued immediately after the bill was passed, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said it marks a "dark day" in the constitutional history of India and is a "victory of narrow minded and bigoted forces" over the country's pluralism.
As many as 125 MPs voted in favour of the Bill in the Upper House and 99 against it, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.
The bill will "alleviate sufferings of many who faced persecution for years", Modi wrote on Twitter and expressed his gratitude to Rajya Sabha members.
Besides NDA constituents such as the JD-U, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and AIADMK, the legislation was supported by the BJD, TDP, YSR-Congress and independents.
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BJP's former ally Shiv Sena, which made all the noises of opposing the bill on the grounds that it ignored citizenship for migrants from other neighbouring nations, made a quiet exit from the House just before the voting.
Apart from the three Shiv Sena MPs who were not present during voting, two members each of Samajwadi Party and NCP as also one of TMC were absent.
Replying to a six-and-a-half-hour debate on the bill, Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday rejected the Opposition charge that the bill was anti-Muslim and said that Indian Muslims have nothing to fear as they are not affected by the legislation.
He repeatedly stressed that the legislation will not take away anyone's citizenship and was only intended to help minority communities facing religious persecution in the three neighbouring countries.
"No provision in citizenship bill touches citizenship of Muslims," he said.
"Indian Muslims are citizens of the country and will remain so.... Citizenship bill is not to snatch anyone's Indian citizenship. Muslims have no need to fear or worry," he said.
Earlier, Rajya Sabha rejected a motion to send the bill to a select committee of the House with 124 members voting against it as compared to 99 in its favour.
The House also rejected several amendments moved by opposition members to the bill, mostly by voice vote. The Bill will now go to the President for his assent.
This was the second attempt by the Modi government to amend the citizenship law. In January, the legislation was passed in the lower house but lapsed with the 15th Lok Sabha as it was not brought in Rajya Sabha where the ruling alliance lacked the numbers.
The Opposition tore into the government during the debate with leaders of Congress, NCP, DMK, BSP, RJD, JDS, AAP, MDMK, TRS, IUML and SDP opposing the bill.
Leader of Opposition in the House Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded to know why the entire North East including Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland was "burning" at the moment if people were happy about the proposed legislation.
The senior Congress leader said: "Honourable home ministerji, you brought demonetisation, GST, (legislation on) triple talaq, NRC, Article 370 (related law) and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the same pattern. You bring such bills every four or six months to divert the attention of people from unemployment, problems of farmers, poverty...."
He termed the Bill as an assault on the foundational values of Constitution and added "it hurts the soul of republic of India."
"There is a specific class. We are taking all minorities in these three countries," Shah said, adding Muslims have not been included for giving citizenship because the proposed law is for persecuted minorities in the three countries
To a reference made by Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan, Shah said "India will never become Muslim-mukt even if you want so."
Since the Nehru-Liaquat pact of giving minorities freedom to practice their religion was not followed by neighbouring countries, Modi government has to do the needful, he said
"It is not vote bank politics. We told the people before the elections and won the people's mandate and approval," he said