Rampur, Dec 10 (IANS): Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan has said that Muslims are 'bigger patriots' as they had a choice either to go to Pakistan during the Partition in 1947 or stay back in India -- and they chose to stay back.

Speaking to reporters hours after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which will grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees who came in from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan , on or before December 2014, was passed, Khan said here.

"Those who stayed back here are bigger patriots than others. If this is the punishment for patriotism than all I can say is that in a democracy, only heads are counted, not brains," he said.

Azam Khan said that the opposition was not heard and heeded by the government during the debate on the bill.

"The decision of passing the bill was based on numerical superiority. The opposition is low on numbers and the government should listen to them and what they have to say," he said.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday midnight, with 311 MPs voting in its favour.