Rajya Sabha passes CAB: Sonia Gandhi says ‘victory of bigoted forces’, PM Modi hails ‘landmark day’

"The Bill fundamentally challenges the idea of India that our forefathers fought for and, in its place, creates a disturbed, distorted and divided India where religion will become a determinant of nationhood," Gandhi said.

Rajya Sabha approves CAB: PM Modi terms it landmark day, Sonia calls it dark

“In this moment of anguish, I would like to reiterate the Congress Party’s determination to be relentless in our struggle against the BJP’s dangerously divisive and polarizing agenda,” Sonia Gandhi said. (Express photo/File)

As the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha Wednesday, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi termed it the “victory of narrow-minded and bigoted forces over India’s pluralism”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, said the passage of the Bill marks a landmark day for “our nation’s ethos of compassion and brotherhood”.

In a statement, the Congress president said: “Today marks a dark day in the constitutional history of India.”

Statement by Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi on the unconstitutional Citizenship Amendment Bill. #CABseBharatBachao pic.twitter.com/RS4OxrYsgg

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 11, 2019

“The Bill fundamentally challenges the idea of India that our forefathers fought for and, in its place, creates a disturbed, distorted and divided India where religion will become a determinant of nationhood,” she added.

READ | Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha: Citizenship Bill rectifies partition blunder, not ‘anti-Muslim’

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PM Modi, on the other hand, said the Bill shall “alleviate the suffering of many who faced persecution for years”.

A landmark day for India and our nation’s ethos of compassion and brotherhood!

Glad that the #CAB2019 has been passed in the #RajyaSabha. Gratitude to all the MPs who voted in favour of the Bill.

This Bill will alleviate the suffering of many who faced persecution for years.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2019

Calling the Bill an affront to the “eternal principles of equality and religious non-discrimination enshrined in our Constitution”, Gandhi said it was ironic that the Bill “has been pushed through at a time when the whole world is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. …this flawed legislation is antithetical to the spirit of the freedom movement and violative of the soul of our nation.”

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