Citizenship Bill: Parties, students Camp in Capital

Guwahati: Political parties and student organisations from the North East are camping in the Capital to garner support in their attempt to block the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill through the Rajya Sabha.

The Lok Sabha cleared the Bill on January 8 and the protesters anticipate that the NDA government may table the Bill in the Upper House on February 13, the last day of the ongoing session. National People’s Party (NPP) president and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma met home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Monday. Accompanied by Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leaders, he is also meeting other political parties urging them to oppose the Bill if it is placed in the Upper House.

“We are against the Bill. If it is passed in the Rajya Sabha, we will snap ties with NDA,” said Sangma, who is also the convener of 11 political parties of North East opposing the Bill.


“We are talking to different parties to ensure that the validity of the Bill is over. We are talking to parties both within and outside NDA,” Janata Dal United secretary-general KC Tyagi said.

All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) advisor Samujjal Bhattacharyya said JDU is talking to other parties on behalf of Aasu.

Sangma’s NPP backs the BJP-led governments in Manipur and Nagaland, while JDU has a legislator in Nagaland and is part of the ruling NDA.

Ex-Bureaucrat Bhanu Joins Cong
Guwahati: MGVK Bhanu, a former additional chief secretary of Assam considered close to the then chief minister Tarun Gogoi, joined the Congress on Monday. A 1985 batch IAS officer who hails from Andhra Pradesh and worked with YSR Reddy, Bhanu is a contender for the Tezpur Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming general election. “I will apply for Tezpur seat. However, it is the party’s prerogative to give me ticket or not,” Bhanu told ET. Explaining his decision to join the Congress, he said, “For unity and integrity of the country and Assam, there is no other party other than the Congress.”—(OPB)