New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS): Strongly opposing the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Tiruchi Siva asked the government as to why only one religion has been excluded for according citizenship to illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Participating in the debate on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Siva said that the bill was polarising and said that the government was targeting only one religion.

"A sense of apprehension has cropped up in millions of Muslims in our country. Where will they go? They have also been persecuted," the DMK MP said.

He said that at the time of Partition, many Muslims stayed back and adopted India as their country.

"Should we not honour their patriotism," the Rajya Sabha member said.

While introducing the bill, Shah termed the bill historic and said it offers a ray of hope and a new beginning to lakhs and crores of people who have been living a life of extreme hardship and misery for years. He also said that the bill fulfills the promise made by the BJP in its Election Manifesto.