Asaduddin Owaisi alleges citizenship bill seeks to make Muslims stateless, rips copy of proposed law in Lok Sabha

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday launched a blistering attack on the Union government in Lok Sabha over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, saying it was aimed at making Muslims "stateless" and would lead to another partition.

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Owaisi said he was called Mahatma after he tore the discriminatory citizenship card in South Africa, and the Hyderabad MP then ripped the copy of the bill to highlight his protest, inviting sharp reactions from the treasury benches which described his act an "insult" to Parliament.

The is an insult to India's freedom fighters, Owaisi retorted, accusing the BJP-led government of working to marginalise Muslims in the country.

Owaisi alleged the bill was worse than the discriminatory laws brought by Hitler in Germany.

"The bill is against the Constitution.... It is a conspiracy to make Muslims stateless," Owaisi said during the debate in the Lower House, questioning the government as to why it had not included countries like China, which occupies parts of India and other countries.

"Are you afraid of China?" he asked.

The Hyderabad MP tore a copy of the Bill after expressing his objection over its nature, saying "secularism is the basic structure of the Constitution and the Bill was arbitrary in nature and was in violation of fundamental rights."

He accused the government of moving the Bill against the Muslim community and tore a copy of the Bill declaring that "I am tearing this Bill".

He said that Home Minister Amit Shah should be prevented from carrying out this enactment, saying "if you does not do it, you will be compared with David Ben Gurion, the founder of the Jewist state of Israel, and Hitler."