Rajya Sabha members will discuss a controversial billgranting citizenship to non-Muslim refugees fleeing religious perscution inthree countries — Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh on Wednesday afternoon.

Six hours have been allotted for the discussion, whichexpected to begin at 2 pm.

The legislation, known as the Citizenship (Amendment)Bill, 2019, sailed through the Lok Sabha, where the government and its allieshave a commanding majority.

That is not the case in the Rajya Sabha, but the Modi administration is expected to receive support from enough neutral parties to see the bill through.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is hugelycontroversial; its critics say it is unconstitutional, and protests have beenheld in several parts of India against it.

A bandh called by a body of student organizations iscurrently underway in several states in the Northeast.