GUWAHATI: The regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) which has been voicing against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 terming it against the spirit of Assam Accord , has now found itself in an awkward position politically after its ally, BJP at the national executive passed a political resolution to get the Bill passed at any cost.
The AGP called an emergency meeting of all its legislature party on Wednesday where they all unanimously decided to oppose this resolution taken in the BJP’s national executive in presence of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The AGP has conveyed its unhappiness to the Chief Minister Sonowal over the BJP’s resolution.
The AGP has been maintaining that it was opposed to grant of citizenship on the basis of religion as is intended to be down through the Amendment of Citizenship Act by the incumbent BJP-led NDA government in the Centre.
With The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the government plans to change the definition of illegal migrants. The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 15, 2016, seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to provide citizenship to illegal migrants, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who are of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian extraction and came to India till 2014. However, the Act doesn’t have a provision for Muslim sects like Shias and Ahmediyas who also face persecution in Pakistan.
The Bill also seeks to reduce the requirement of 11 years of continuous stay in the country to six years to obtain citizenship by naturalisation.
The BJP had promised to grant citizenship to Hindus persecuted in the neighbouring countries during the 2014 General Election.
If, enacted the Bill will negate the Assam Accord which provides for detection and deportation of illegal migrants from Bangladesh irrespective of religion, who had sneaked into Assam before March 25, 1971. The AGP, All Assam Students’ Union, Krisak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) and other like-minded groups which have been rooting for protection of political, cultural and economic identity of indigenous people as per the provision of Assam Accord have , therefore, raised strong opposition to Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.
Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) too has reminded Sarbananda Sonowal of his commitment towards the indigenous people of Assam and make his stand clear on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress launched an attack on the AGP. “The national BJP president Amit Shah has already made it clear that BJP wants to pass Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The AGP leaders are simply passing comments in opposing the bill. If they are so hurt, why they are not withdrawing their support to the BJP-led government in Assam,” asked APCC president Ripun Bora.
The Congress which used to favour grant of citizenship to persecuted minorities who were forced to leave neigbouring countries to take shelter in India, too opposes the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 because it doesn’t want citizenship be granted on the basis of religion.