The Congress boycotted the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), 2019.
“We have boycotted the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha today. I appealed to the chair to give me time to speak on the situation, but I was not allowed,” said Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora.
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He said both the Centre and the state government failed to maintain law and order in Assam.
“It’s a war-like situation in Assam. There is no existence of the government. In fact, the BJP government is totally responsible for the present situation,” said Bora adding, “The new cut-off date for granting citizenship is the only reason.”
Criticising the BJP, Bora said the BJP has the habit of blaming Congress “but BJP and RSS, on the contrary, are instigating the situation.”
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Also read: CAB passed in Rajya Sabha
Congress’ Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi said the CAB is “unconstitutional”.
“This is a ploy of the BJP government for a demographic change of Assam. With this bill, indigenous people of Assam will become a minority,” said Bordoloi.
He further said the BJP government is using the central intelligence agencies ‘as a third party’ to instigate violence.
Also read: Lok Sabha passes Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019
Talking on the present situation, former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said the situation is turning bad to worse.
“The new cut-off date for giving citizenship is the major reason for the chaos. The government should stick to the Assam Accord and accept March 25, 1971, as the cut of date for recognizing Indian citizens,” said Gogoi.