The opposition against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, on Friday got a shot in the arm with the Janata Dal-United (JDU), a BJP ally in Bihar, deciding to oppose the Bill in the Lok Sabha.
“Yes we will oppose the Bill on January 7 when it will come in the Lok Sabha,” said JDU national spokesperson KC Tyagi.
The party is of the view that all the people in Assam and entire Northeast are against the Bill and “the government can’t go against people wishes.”
The JDU after consulting with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had already appealed to the government not to bring the contentious Bill in the Parliament.
“If the government brings the Bill in the House, we will oppose it,” said Tyagi.
JDU has only two members in the Lok Sabha but their opposition might have its impact in Bihar as both BJP-JDU combinations are in power in the state.
On Thursday, the Joint Parliamentary Party (JPC) has adopted the Bill. In the same meeting, members of four opposition parties–Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and CPM have registered their protest against the Bill.
Congress MP from Assam Bhubaneswar Kalita even walked out of the meeting opposing the Bill.
“We will continue our protest against the Bill,” Kalita told Northeast Now.