SHILLONG: Opposition Congress on Wednesday launched scathing attacks on the BJP-led Government at the Centre and the NPP-led MDA Government for taking a U turn over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Opposition leader and former Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma termed the U turn of the NPP from opposing to supporting the CAB as the biggest betrayal to the people of the State and an example of politics of backstabbing.
He said that the NPP cheated its own people and that there couldn’t be a bigger betrayal than this.
Stating that as an MP Agatha has only conveyed the stand of the party which was decided by Conrad Sangma, the National President of the party, the former Chief Minister said people were asking the right question as to why the effigy of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma was not being burnt along with Agatha Sangma.
Pointing towards the Centre giving out ILP to Manipur and exempting Sixth Schedule areas from the purview of the bill, the Leader of the opposition said that Sixth Schedule and the Inner Line Permit ILP were not enough to protect the indigenous communities as ILP provides only restricted entry and movement whereas Sixth Schedule is not enough and therefore the North East needs many more legislation.
He said many NE states already have ILP but the actual proportion of the population is actually toward the favour of the non-tribals.
He said that the whole manner in which the law was pushed was designed to divide and rule the people of the NE and the mandate of CAB would create vested interest of neighbouring countries to push away and engage into suppression and oppression of the minorities.
Reiterating their stand to oppose the Bill Dr Sangma said that they would be discussing with the Congress leadership and would also hold protests all over the state from Thursday against the forceful implementation of the CAB.