Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has joined protests in Mumbai against amended Citizenship Act. He says it's time people unite to send across message that the country belongs to everyone, reported PTI.
There are two kinds of protests that are taking place across India right now, against the Act. In the northeast, the protest is against the Act's implementation in their areas. Most of them fear that if implemented, the Act will cause a rush of immigrants that may alter their demographic and linguistic uniqueness.
In the rest of India, like in Kerala, West Bengal and in Delhi, people are protesting against the exclusion of Muslims, alleging it to be against the ethos of the Constitution.
According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan by December 31, 2014 and faced religious persecution in those countries, will not be treated as illegal immigrants and given Indian citizenship.
Kamal Haasan on Tuesday wondered why Sri Lankan Tamils and Muslims were left out of the ambit of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill if it was a "genuinely benevolent" legislation.
"Why are Tamils who are subjected to a methodic genocide and Muslims facing discrimination, be excluded from the bill? If it's a genuinely benevolent bill and not a vote garnering exercise, then why won't this CAB stop to pick up stranded Tamils & troubled Muslims of Sri Lanka?" he said in a tweet.
Read: Why Lankan Tamils, Muslims Left Out if CAB a 'Genuinely Benevolent' Legislation: Kamal Haasan
Earlier in the day, spiritual guru Ravi Shankar and lyricist Vairamuthu had batted for providing citizenship to Lankan refugees staying in the country for over three decades.
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