New Citizenship law will be written in 'golden letters', PM tells party MPs

Addressing the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting here, Mr Modi said the new legislation will not only end religious prosecution faced by the religious minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh but will also end instability in the lives of these people.

Briefing reporters after the meet, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said Prime Minister also said that those who are residing in the country have not been able to avail the citizenship right and other facilities.

The new law will be written in the annals of history with golden letters, Mr Joshi said adding the ruling BJP-led dispensation is confident that the Bill will get the approval of the Upper House also.

Rajya Sabha took up the much talked about draft law for debate and consideration on Wednesday.

The BJP is the single largest party in the Upper House with 83 members but it will need the support of members from NDA constituents and other parties to sail it through.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed by Lok Sabha at the stroke of midnight on Monday with 311 members voting in favour of it and 80 members opposing it.

Under the existing provisions, migrants from six communities Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh without proper documents are considered ineligible to apply for Indian citizenship.

The new Bill seeks to amend the 1995 law and seeks to make these migrants eligible for Indian citizenship but with the condition that the illegal migrants have entered into India up to the cut of date of December 31, 2014.