The Indian parliament on Wednesday passed a controversial bill granting citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants.
The local Indian Express newspaper reported that the Rajya Sabha (upper chamber of parliament) approved the bill with 125 votes in favor, against 105 members.
The Lok Sabha (lower chamber) Council had approved the same bill, on Tuesday, with 311 votes in favor, against 80 votes.
The bill aims to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims who have entered the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan until December 31, 2014.
The Indian security forces have strengthened their presence in the northeastern states, in preparation for the call for demonstrations and a general strike to protest the bill.
Interior Minister Amit Shah presented a bill to amend citizenship in front of the Indian House of Representatives, amid heated controversy, and opposition parties rejected the law paving the way for granting Indian citizenship on the basis of religion.
The government - led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (Hindu Indian people) - says the bill will provide a haven for those fleeing religious persecution.
On the other hand, opposition politicians inside Parliament, and demonstrators in several Indian cities, said that the bill discriminates against Muslims and violates the secular Indian constitution.
The bill - which seeks to amend the country's citizenship law of 1955 - aims to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities such as Hindus, Buddhists, and other minorities from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, but it excludes Muslims.