SHILLONG: Union Minister of State for Youth and Sports and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, on Friday said indigenous people of the North East have nothing to worry about the impact of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as it will address their concerns.
The bill is likely to be tabled in Parliament next week amidst protests against it raging in the North East, particularly Assam. The Union cabinet had given its nod to the bill on Wednesday.
Talking to media persons here on Thursday on the sidelines of a function, Rijiju said that the matter pertaining to CAB is being discussed and the Union Home minister has himself heard the views of different groups from the region.
“The concerns of the indigenous people of the North East are being addressed and considered”, he said.
The BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh also said that when the bill comes up for discussion, it will become very clear that the indigenous population of the North East are well protected and given all support by the Union government.
“There is nothing to worry for the indigenous people of the North East”, he said.
It may be mentioned that the Meghalaya government, different political parties and NGOs have already expressed their opposition to the bill as it seeks to provide citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Christians who have come to India after facing religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Lok Sabha had passed the CAB, but it was not brought to Rajya Sabha ahead of the 2019 general elections. The bill eventually lapsed after the Lok Sabha was dissolved. It is now likely to be tabled in Lok Sabha on December 9 and taken up for discussion and passage the following day.
If passed by Parliament, it will amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 and for the first time allow Indian citizenship on the basis of religion.
Granting citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Christians, escaping persecution was an election promise of the BJP in 2014 and 2019.
Though the bill is likely to exempt ILP and Sixth Schedule areas of the North East from its purview, NGOs in Meghalaya, major part of which is covered by the Sixth Schedule, have already started protesting against it.
