Amidst protest, Sonowal likely to meet home minister on Wednesday

GUWAHATI: Amidst protest in Assam triggered by Citizenship (amendment) Bill of 2016, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal is expected to meet home minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi Tomorrow.

A senior official in state government who does not want to be quoted told ET, “Chief Minister is likely to discuss the situation of the state which is restive following the visit of joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on Citizenship (amendment) Bill of 2016 on early this month.”

He added that the meeting will also take stock of the progress of draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).


NRC is being monitored by Supreme Court and partial first draft of NRC was published on December 31, 2017. The remaining will be published on June 30, 2018.

The official said that Assam will seek additional deployment of central paramilitary forces (CPMF) ahead of the NRC publication.

Assam’s Principal Secretary, Home, LS Changsan and Director General of police, Kuladhar Saikia held meeting with home ministryofficials in New Delhi on Tuesday.

All Assam Students Union (Aasu) led mass hunger strike on Tuesday in Guwahati against the bill was attended by 26 different organisations besides senior citizens, state government employees union, artists. The agitation was also attended by representatives from political parties including Congress and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

AGP is an ally of the BJP led government. After several years’ former chief minister and AGP leader, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta attended Aasu’s programme.

Relationship between Mahanta and Aasu has strained when Mahanta was chief minister 1996-2001. Taking part in the hunger strike, Mahanta said that this is a positive step taken by Aasu.

AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said that Assam is not a dumping ground. “We will not accept the bill.”

Aasu wants BJP led Assam government to take Meghalaya government stand which has said no to bill.

Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonwal had stated that government will spell out its stand on the bill after June 30. Presently the NRC updation work is on and large number of government employees is involved in it.

Bhattacharya attacked the government and said, “Why wait till June 30, NRC updation and citizenship bill is two different issue.”

Aasu has threatened to intensify stir against the bill and stop the movement of ministers and MLAs in Assam.

Pro talk ULFA leader, Anup Chetia added that outfit will pull out of peace talk with government of India if the bill is imposed in Assam

BJP MLA Shiladitya Dev mocked the on-going protest and said 80 per cent of person taking part in these protests are Bangladeshi.