SHILLONG: The BJP-led NDA has government approved the constitutional amendments to pacify the people of North East after protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill erupted in the region, said opposition chief whip and Congress legislator PT Sawkmie on Wednesday.
Speaking to media persons here on Thursday, Sawkmie said the BJP at the Centre realised that the region was “boiling due to the passage of the citizenship bill and to pacify the people, it has approved the amendments to the Sixth Schedule”.
Demanding that the citizenship bill be scrapped, the MLA said, “The Union Government is doing wrong and there is a hidden agenda behind the sudden decision of the Cabinet to approve the amendments to the Sixth Schedule. BJP realised that their future prospects in the region and in the country will be affected with the Lok Sabha election just round the corner and so it took this decision suddenly.”
He added that the state government for long had been demanding necessary amendments to the Sixth Schedule but the Centre had paid no heed.
Speaking on the Union Cabinet’s decision, leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma said this was the culmination of an exhaustive exercise by the previous state government with collective efforts and contributions of members of the civil society, the churches and the commitment of the ANVC to restore lasting peace in sync with the aspirations of the people of Meghalaya.
“It is appropriate to refresh our mind as how long and how meticulously we had to work to come out with the comprehensive memorandum of settlement leading to the disbanding of the ANVC and ANVC(B),” he said.
Sangma informed that the Union Government was expected to complete the process of amendment and assured the then state government – even requesting it to postpone the scheduled election to the GHADC. However, the Centre was moving slow and on a number of occasions displeasure about the delay was expressed by stakeholders.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA and Cabinet Minister AL Hek welcomed the move.
Another Cabinet Minister, Hamlet Dohling, said the government would study the details of the decisions and the matter will be discussed.
“We will sit and work out whether this decision will be beneficial for our state or not,” he added.
