Manish Tewari of the Congress spoke after Shah, calling the Bill unconstitutional. Both Article 14 and Article 15 make this Bill against the idea of India and its founders, he said. “When can’t discriminate among citizens, how can discriminate while granting citizenship?” Tewari asked. “Reasonable classification means that equals can’t be treated as unequals, and when a refugee comes to India, we can’t decide on their treatment on the basis of religion.” Dayanidhi Maran of the DMK too opposed the Bill. “You have not done anything to prove to Muslims in India that you support them,” Maran said. “Is it a crime to be a Muslim?”
Maran also accused Shah of dividing minority groups. Christians were not part of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as set out in the BJP’s manifesto, but have been included in the final Bill. “You are first finishing the Muslims, and then you will turn to the Christians.”
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