The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on 8 January 2019. In fact, the central government had started taking small and discreet steps towards the enactment and implementation of the law since 2015 itself. The bill violates the Constitution because the classification it adopts is manifestly arbitrary and unjustified. Citizenship law defines a country’s political and constitutional identity. Laying down rules that determine membership in our political community only on the basis of one’s religious beliefs completely violates this principle.
