SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma has reiterated that the Central Government must hold consultations on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).
Speaking to newsmen here on Friday after the Cabinet meeting, Conrad Sangma said that the CAB needed a lot of consultation and the Union Government which was pushing the Bill should have consultations with all stakeholders including NGOs and political parties.
Recalling his recent meeting with the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah on the matter, he added that the Home Minister had agreed to hold consultations with the organisations and political parties on the matter.
It may be mentioned that various NGOs in North East have expressed their stiff opposition to the move of the Centre to enact the CAB.
It may be recalled that large scale protests were held in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland earlier this month against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Billl soon after Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced that the legislation would be introduced in the new session of Parliament.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend a 1955 law to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians from the Muslim-majority nations of Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan if they have lived in India for six years.
It had been passed by the previous Lok Sabha but was not tabled in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill lapsed after the term of the Lok Sabha ended in May but was not introduced in the Budget Session in July.