BJP making mockery of NRC: Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi

GUWAHATI: Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that the BJP-led government is making a mockery of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) by bringing back the Citizenship Amendment bill.

Gogoi said there’s lot of uncertainty surrounding the continuation of Article 371 which gives special provision to the North-East, especially after the way the central government has abrogated Article 370 in J&K.

The Citizenship Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014.


Chief ministers of three NE states – Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland – have voiced their concerns towards the Bill, but Assam chief minister remained silent.

Shah, however, assured that Article 371 will not be affected by the Citizenship Amendment Bill. “When we will bring the bill, the laws which protect tribal laws and cultural identity won’t be affected. There will be no change --that is your right,” said Shah.