GUWAHATI: Reiterating the BJP’s known stand in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Union Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain on Tuesday triggered a fresh wave of protests by various political and non-political groups in Brahmaputra Valley for Assam against the Bill by saying that Bangladesh-origin Bengali Hindus are not posing any threat to the indigenous communities in Assam.
“The Bangladesh-origin Hindus have supported us, so we (BJP) are also supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 that would pave the way for grant of citizenship to this community. It is Bangladeshi-origin Muslim who are posing threat to the identity and culture of indigenous communities in the state,” Gohain stated before the media in Nagaon on Tuesday.
Congress MLA and the leader of the Opposition in Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia reacting to Gohain statement said that it had now became clear that the BJP supported the amendment Bill because they want support of by Bangladeshi-origin Hindus in the state to remain in power.
Gohain’s statement came while the Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) led by chairman ad BJP MLA Rajendra Agarwal is in the state taking opinions of various sections of the society on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016. The Committee listen to opinions of 127 organisations in Guwahati on Monday while it is holding similar exercise at Silchar in Barak Valley from this afternoon till tomorrow. The Committee’s chairman Rajendra Agarwal stated that it would hold another round of hearing in Guwahati on a later date in view of the raging protests registered by various organisations in Brahmaputra Valley against the Bill.
Various organisations in the state hit the street and burnt effigy of the Union Minister Rajen Gohain in sharp reaction to his statement in favour of Citizenship(Amendment) Bill 2016.