A month-long winter session of Parliament begins today. The centre plans to take up over 35 legislations in this period. The key issues likely to emerge as flashpoints in the session are. The lockdown in Kashmir, economic distress and centre’s push for the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. On Day 1, Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena walked out of the Lok Sabha. Congress and NCP raised slogans demanding the release of Kashmiri politician Farooq Abdulla and Shiv Sena walked out over inaction on farmer distress in Maharashtra. Of the 35 legislations, which include Personal Data Protection Bill, Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill among others, The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) is likely to be pushed aggressively by the Centre. The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955. The new amendments will grant citizenship to all but Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.The passage of CAB will be seen as a fulfilment of another such campaign promise. Passage of this Bill will leave Muslims refugees in India statelesa– a move that is said to favour Hindu right-wing politics in India, even more so, after the SC verdict on the long-pending claim of Hindus and Muslims on the land in Ayodhya was announced in favour of the Hindu plaintiffs.
