The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) and People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) have raised strong voices against the controversial citizenship bill hitting the headlines in the North-east.
In a joint statement, both the parties said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 will have ‘annihilating’ and ‘de-tribalizing’ effects on Arunachal Pradesh, which is otherwise a constitutionally protected tribal state.
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This Bill, if implemented, will ‘reduce the indigenous tribal people of our region into minorities’, read the joint statement of the opposition political parties in the hill state.
APCC vice president Minkir Lollen further alleged that ‘the Citizenship Amendment Bill is a weapon to give a push to the RSS ideology of converting the non-Hindu dominated areas in the country into Hindu dominated ones by bringing in and settling the Hindu refugees from Bangladesh’.
The joint statement also stated that the bill is introduced at a time when the state is already under the serious threat of Chakma-Hajong and Tibetan refugees.
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Kaling Jerang of PPA also expressed surprise over the stoic silence maintained by state Chief Minister Pema Khandu on the issue.
The parties further expressed their grave concern over the ‘inconspicuous silence’ that the Members of Parliament from the State, Kiren Rijiju, Ninong Ering and Mukut Mithi have been maintaining on the burning issue.
“Where were they when this draconian bill was placed in the Parliament”, the joint statement questioned.
Both the parties were of the view that the three MPs must take a tough stand on the issue by opposing it or relinquish their position.