Headlines
Lok Sabha passes bill to amend Citizenship Act
New Delhi/Jammu, March 2
The Lok Sabha Monday
passed a bill that allows the central government to notify that Persons
of Indian Origin (PIO) card-holders shall be considered Overseas Citizen
of India card-holders.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015,
which was passed by a voice vote, seeks to replace the ordinance brought
by the government in January.
The bill seeks to amend the
Citizenship Act, 1955 and provide, among other things, for "registration
of overseas citizen of India card-holder and also that the persons of
Indian origin card-holders shall be deemed to be overseas citizen of
India card-holders".
Participating in the debate, N.K.
Premachandran of the Revolutionary Socialist Party said the government
had brought the ordinance to fulfill the promise made by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to overseas Indians during his visit to the US.
Referring
to the bill introduced in the winter session, which the government had
withdrawn before introduction of the new bill, he said it reflected the
"callous manner" in which the previous bill was drafted.
Intervening
in the debate, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government intended
to give benefits to overseas Indians before the day marking the 100th
year of the return of Mahatma Gandhi to the country and had brought an
ordinance for the purpose.
Replying to the debate, Minister of
State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said India does not have a provision
of dual citizenship but the bill provides overseas Indians provisions
close to citizenship.
The bill also provides for conferment of
rights on overseas citizen of India card-holder, renunciation of the
card and cancellation of registration of the card-holder.