Indian president ignoring protests signs citizenship bill into law

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Police try to remove road blocks and douse fire set by protestors in Gauhati, India, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019. Police arrested dozens of people and enforced curfew on Thursday in several districts in India’s northeastern Assam state where thousands protested legislation granting citizenship to non-Muslims who migrated from neighboring countries. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

NEW DELHI: The Indian president on Friday signed the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill into law amid strong protests in the Assam state.

On account of tensions in India’s northeast region over the controversial citizenship bill, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had cancelled his visit to the country on Friday.

Earlier this week, exposing its so-called secular image, India had passed a controversial legislation that will allow citizenship to all religious minorities except Muslims fleeing persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The Indian lower house Lok Saba passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill early Tuesday.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah moved the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Lok Saba.

The bill was approved with 311 votes in favour and 80 against it.