The parliament of India has passed a bill that grants Indian citizenship to immigrants from three neighboring countries, except to Muslims.
The controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) was approved by the parliament and will fast-track the citizenship of religious minorities in India, including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The bill sparked controversy as opposition parties argue that it is unconstitutional as it bases citizenship on a person's religion. They added that the law would further marginalize the 200 million Muslims in the country.
The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party-led government argued that the bill only aims to protect religious minorities who fled persecution in their home countries.
The bill easily passed the lower house of parliament 311 to 80 as it is dominated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP. However, it was also able to pass the Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of parliament where the BJP lacks a clear majority, with a 125 to 105 vote.
The bill will only need the President's signature in order to become a law.
Harsh Mander, an Indian human rights activist and author of the bill, said: "I think it is, without exaggeration, probably the most dangerous piece of legislation that we've had because it amounts to truly destroying the very character of the Indian state and the constitution."
Mander pointed out that the Indian constitution's very nature is that it is based on secular values. He added: "Central to the idea was that your religious identity would be irrelevant to your belonging, and it's that which is being turned on its head. It's extremely worrying."
Celebrating the bill's passage, Modi wrote in a tweet: "A landmark day for India and our nation's ethos of compassion and brotherhood!" he wrote. "This bill will alleviate the suffering of many who faced persecution for years."
