New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS): Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 "an attempt by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah government to "ethnically cleanse the Northeast", calling it a "criminal attack" on the people.

"The CAB is an attempt by Modi-Shah govt to ethnically cleanse the North East. It is a criminal attack on the North East, their way of life and the idea of India. I stand in solidarity with the people of the North East and am at their service (sic.)," Gandhi tweeted.

On Tuesday, Gandhi described the Bill that seeks to provide refuge to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains fleeing religious persecution from the officially Islamic Pakistan and Afghanistan and Muslim-majority Bangladesh -- as an attack on the Constitution and said that anyone who supports the Bill is attempting to destroy the foundation of India.

The Bill was tabled for discussion in the Lok Sabha on Monday by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and was passed late on Monday night.

The opposition parties had objected its nature and described it "against Muslim community", which the government rejected saying it does not affect the community residing in the country.

The Bill will be debated upon in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.