The proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) would not override the provisions of 6th Schedule and Inner Line Permit, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday assured all the 8 Chief Ministers of the Northeast.
Shah also said the CAB will also not affect State Acts like Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act.
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Shah assured the CMs of 8 NE States on the sidelines of the 4th Conclave of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) at Guwahati on Monday.
Informing this in a statement to the media houses, NEDA convenor and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Amit Shah assured the CMs that the cutoff date for the CAB will be December 14, 2014.
The 4th NEDA Conclave was attended by Chief Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Conrad K. Sangma (Meghalaya), Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh), N. Biren Singh (Manipur), Neiphiu Rio (Nagaland), Zoramthanga (Mizoram), Biplab Kr Deb (Tripura) and PS Tamang (Sikkim).
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Himanta Biswa Sarma stated, “CM of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma enquired whether there will be any cutoff date for granting citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Christian population of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Sangma also enquired if the proposed CAB would override the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act.
“CMs of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland enquired whether the CAB in anyway affect provisions of the 6th Schedule, Inner Line Permit and state Acts like Meghalaya Safety and Security Act,” said Sarma.
Informing that specific provisions would be included in the proposed Amendment Bill itself, Sarma added, “All the current laws and regulations and state laws enacted for protecting the cultural, linguistics and other rights of North Eastern region will not get diluted by the proposed CAB.”
“All CMs of the region thanked Union Home Minister for his categorical assurance and assured him that they will discuss the proposed CAB with all the stakeholders in their respective states and meet Shah soon again,” the NEDA convenor further stated.
According to the provisions of the CAB, 2016, which seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, illegal migrants belonging to religions such as Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Pari and Christian from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan will be eligible for Indian citizenship.