Guwahati: Indication from the Centre that it might revive the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) soon has sparked a strong reaction in Assam, with Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) organising a protest against Union home minister Amit Shah for his remark, and burning his effigy.
The students body, which has threatened to intensify the agitation, took out a procession that was marked by the burning of an effigy of the home minister at Lakhipur.
Meanwhile, former chief minister Tarun Gogoi launched a frontal attack against the Union home minister, Amit Shah, while accusing Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and his deputy, Himanta Biswa Sarma, for surrendering their individuality, and the state’s interests, to the party Central leaders.
In an obvious attempt to give a communal spin to whole issue, Mr Gogoi called upon the Assamese people to take a joint stand to oppose the CAB.
It is significant that the BJP, during the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, had clarified its stand in support of the CAB.
The issue came to focus once again on Monday, when Union home minister Amit Shah told Chief Ministers of eight north-eastern states, including Sikkim, that the proposed CAB would not be in conflict with the inner line permit (ILP) legislation in force in some states in the region.
Inner line permits are required for outsiders to enter Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.
“Fears have been raised by North-East states about what would happen to the special provisions under Article 371, or the ILP legislation, if the CAB was brought in. I want to reiterate that Article 371 has no relation to Article 370. Article 371 is a permanent arrangement, while Article 370 is temporary in nature. The CAB that the Centre is contemplating will not affect Article 371, or the laws that protect the identities of the people of the North-East,” Mr Shah had said, while addressing the fourth conclave of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).
Mr Gogoi, who praised Chief Ministers of Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland for opposing the CAB, also expressed surprise over the stand of the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
Describing AGP president Atul Bora as “backboneless” leader, Mr Gogoi regretted that AGP has failed to take stand against the CAB. The AGP had snapped its ties with the ruling BJP government when the Bill was tabled in Parliament, but subsequently the party returned back to government on an assurance of the BJP to take them into confidence on Citizen Amendment Bill.
