The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 conducted the first day’s public hearing on the Bill at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Silchar in Barak Valley on Tuesday amid tight security.
A large number of individuals and organisations submitted their memorandums and expressed their views on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 during the public hearing on Tuesday.
Also read: Citizenship Bill 2016 faces massive opposition at JPC’s Guwahati hearing
The Bill seeks to allow illegal migrants from certain minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship.
If the Bill is passed, then the Hindu Bangladeshis would get Indian citizenship. It may be mentioned that Barak Valley is dominated by Bengali-speaking people.
As per information, while 203 organisations from Karimganj district and 84 organisations of Hailakandi district submitted memorandums on Tuesday, 153 organisations of Cachar will submit their memorandums before the JPC at Silchar on Wednesday.
While most of the individuals and organisations, including political parties submitted memorandums and expressed their views against implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 during JPC’s public hearing in Guwahati on Monday, most of the individuals and organisations came out in support of the Bill during the hearing at Silchar.
The 26-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) led by its Chairman, BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal reached Kumbhirgram Airport at Silchar in Cachar district on Tuesday afternoon under strong security.
The whole JPC team was taken to the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Silchar where the public hearing has been conducted. The public hearing on the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2018 was held in between 2-30 pm to 5 pm.
While public hearing on the Bill was conducted on single day in Guwahati, two days have been scheduled for hearing on the Bill in Silchar.
Meanwhile, strong security measures have been arranged around the NIT-Silchar campus for the conduct of the public hearing. Every corner of the town has been under strong CRPF jawans’ vigil so that no untoward incident takes place.
A rift was distinct among the Congress representatives of Barak Valley over the stand on the Bill. While Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Ripun Bora and Assam Congress Legislature Party Leader Debabrata Saikia came out against the Bill during the hearing in Guwahati, All India Mahila Congress President and MP Sushmita Dev voiced in support of the Bill while Congress’ Karimganj North MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and former Congress Minister Gautam Roy came out in the Bill’s support during the hearing.
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