NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday assured Meghalaya MPs Agatha Sangma and Vincent Pala of looking into the demand for exempting the entire state from the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
Pala and Sangma called on Shah along with some other MPs from the North East amid violent protests against CAB in different parts of the country.
Sangma made a fervent plea to Shah to exempt the whole state from the ambit of CAB. “After excluding the three district councils only some portions of the capital city comes under CAB,” she argued. Pala pointed out that Shillong is not only the capital of Meghalaya but also the main financial hub of the whole state and hence should be exempted from the CAB. “The minister heard us with patience and assured that he will positively look into our demand before the bill becomes an act,” said Pala.
Sangma supported the bill in the House and said that she had supported the amended version.
People staged protest march and even burnt her effigy both in Khasi Hills and Garo Hills on Tuesday. She also faced severe criticism from the alliance partners of the ruling MDA in the state.
Sikkim MP Indra Hang Subba was the only member from the regional parties in the NE who voted against the bill in the Lok Sabha.
