The Congress on Saturday reached out to the Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill, led by noted intellectual Dr Hiren Gohain.
The Congress has also decided to send a joint delegation of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders on Wednesday to meet AICC president Rahul Gandhi to discuss the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
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AICC general secretary in-charge of Assam Harish Rawat, APCC president Ripun Bora and CLP leader Debabrata Saikia were present at Saturday’s meeting with the Hiren Gohain-led Forum, say media reports.
Apart from Dr Hiren Gohain, the meeting was also attended by other members of the Forum like Haidar Hussain, Santanu Borthakur, convenor Manjit Mahanta and Amar Asom editor Prasanta Rajguru.
Informing about the meeting, APCC president Ripun Bora on Saturday stated on his Twitter handle: “Had a fruitful interaction with some prominent intellectuals of Assam including Dr Hiren Gohain, Haidar Hussain, Prasanta Rajguru, etc. regarding CAB-2016 in presence of Harish Rawat, AICC GS, Tarun Gogoi, Ex-CM, Debabrata Saikia, CLP leader & many Congress leaders of APCC.”
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Had a fruitful interaction with some prominent intellectuals of Assam including Dr Hiren Gohain, Haidar Hussain, Prasanta Rajguru etc regarding CAB-2016 in presence of @harishrawatcmuk, AICC GS, @tarun_gogoi, Ex-CM, @DsaikiaOfficial, CLP leader & many Congress leaders of APCC. pic.twitter.com/4HC9w0tdbd
— Ripun Bora (@ripunbora) January 26, 2019
Earlier on Friday, the Congress had a two-hour long meeting with the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and 69 other organizations where it apprised of its stand against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
During the meeting on Friday, the Congress also reportedly revealed before the leaders of 70 organisations how it planned to tackle the issue when it comes up in the Rajya Sabha during the budget session.
The budget session of the Parliament will start from January 31, 2019.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, 2019.
The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre will try to get the Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha where it has no majority.
The move of the BJP in Rajya Sabha can be derailed by the Congress and other non-NDA parties.
The report quoted Manjit Mahanta, convenor of the Forum as saying: “The meeting was on the Bill and what will be their role in the Rajya Sabha. They (Congress) wanted to meet us.”
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) on Friday sought to meet the Congress leaders and wanted the party’s support in opposing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
Had very fruitful discussion with KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi and other 70 organisation on Citizenship Amendment Bill. Apart from me @harishrawatcmuk GS AICC, @tarun_gogoi, many Senior Leaders and team of APCC participated in this discussion. pic.twitter.com/aukyWm4C7q
— Ripun Bora (@ripunbora) January 25, 2019
They also wanted a meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
CLP leader Debabrata Saikia, who had attended Friday’s meeting, said: “We conveyed to them (70 organisations) that our AICC in-charge (Harish Rawat) represented the high command and our stand will remain anti-Bill in and outside Parliament.”