CAB: Cong issues whip to its RS members

The Congress has issued a 3-line whip mandating its members in the Rajya Sabha to be present on the day of presentation of the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).

The Bill will be put to vote in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

After the CAB had an easy passage in the Lok Sabha, the Opposition hopes to block its passage in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alone doesn't have numbers and will need to rely on support from others.

The CAB, which seeks to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, has faced opposition criticism with the Congress calling it "unconstitutional".

The Bill had also cleared the Lok Sabha test during the previous NDA regime, but couldn't clear the Rajya Sabha hurdle due to protests.IANS