Party unit seeks ILP for state, exemption from bill
GUWAHATI: The Assam state unit of National People’s Party (NPP) has expressed “utter surprise and dissatisfaction” over party MP, Agatha Sangma’s extension of support to the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in the Lok Sabha.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Dilip Kumar Borah, president, NPP Assam state unit, said that “Such an action has defeated the basic objective of the party, ‘One Voice One Northeast’. Moreover, such an action is in violation of the resolution of the national executive committee meeting held in New Delhi on November 30, 2019.”
It may be mentioned that while the Tura MP had also sought “exemption of the entire Northeast from the ambit of CAB”, she had extended support to the Bill as modifications were made in the draft to exclude the ILP states and the Sixth Schedule areas from the purview of CAB.
An emergent executive meeting of the Assam state unit of NPP was held here on Wednesday in the wake of the developments in regard to CAB on a day the Bill was being tabled in the Upper House of Parliament.
“NPP Assam resolves to continue to oppose CAB from party forum. However, it was further resolved that if the central government provides inner line permit (ILP) to Assam and/or excludes Assam from the purview of CAB, then the matter would be reviewed,” Borah said.
The state unit of NPP had in its executive meeting last week, resolved to go all out against the contentious legislation till it was scrapped.
The meeting held threadbare discussions on the Centre’s bid to bring the proposed legislation for a second time in Parliament and resolved not to allow the Bill to be implemented in Assam and the Northeast.