Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a witty one-liner took on Congress and Shiv Sena during the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) debate in the Lok Sabha last evening. During the discussion on the CAB, the opposition parties, which claim to be ‘secular’ raised objections over the alleged lack of secularism of the CAB. Shutting them down in one single line, Shah pointed out the hypocrisy of Congress over its alleged secularism.
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Shah said, “Desh ki janta ko kehna chahta hoon Congress ek aisi bin sampradayik party hai ki Kerala mein Muslim League inki partner hai aur Maharashtra mein Shiv Sena partner hai. Maine aisi bin sampradayik party mere jeevan mein nahin dekhi. I would like to tell the citizens of India that Congress is one such ‘secular’ party that in Kerala, they are partners with Muslim League and in Maharashtra, they are partners with Shiv Sena.” The hall erupted in a roar of laughter following his comment.
Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala is a state party and a major member of the opposition United Democratic Front along with the Congress. When the reports of Congress and NCP forging alliance with Shiv Sena emerged in Maharashtra following 24 October verdict, reports were doing rounds that Congress in Kerala was apprehensive of joining hands with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as it would harm its prospects as they are partners with the Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala. They thought the alliance with Shiv Sena which perpetrates ‘toxic Hindutva’ would harm the party’s ‘secular image’. This especially when Congress’ on-again-off-again former President Rahul Gandhi is now an MP from Wayanad in Kerala as he lost his Amethi seat to BJP’s Smriti Irani in 2019 elections.
At the stroke of midnight
The Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed on the midnight between 9th and 10th December 2019, after a daylong debate. The bill, which was earlier passed by the earlier Lok Sabha but had lapsed as it could not be passed in Rajya Sabha before the 2019 general elections, was re-tabled at the lower house of the parliament on December 9. 311 MPs of Lok Sabha voted for it, while 80 voted against it in the division of votes that took place just after midnight.