Gauhati High Court
Former Assam CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. File Photo: UB Photos

Former Assam Chief Minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on Thursday appealed to all the political parties and organisations of the State to get united against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Guwahati on Thursday.

Mahanta, who led the Assam Movement, which was launched demanding deportation of Bangladeshi nationals from Assam, made this appeal during a press conference organised by the Asom Andolan Sangrami Satirtha Manch (AASSM).

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The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who came from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to the country till December 31, 2014.

The AASSM will launch a Padayatra as part of the protest demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 where the activists will walk from Ganeshguri to the Raj Bhawan in the city on May 30.

Informing this, AASSM convenor and former MP, Kumar Dipak Das said, “We will launch a Padayatra from Ganeshguri to Raj Bhawan on May 30 demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. We will also call on Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi regarding the matter, since the Governor of a State cannot take a decision which goes against the interest of the people of the State.”
Das further said that the AASSM would demand the State Governor to implement the Assam Accord to identify and deport illegal migrants from Assam.

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Moreover, Das informed that the AASSM would meet the Members of Parliament (MPs) of all political parties seeking support against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 before the monsoon session of the Parliament which is scheduled to be held in July, 2018.

“We will also stage a protest programme in New Delhi before the monsoon session of the Parliament,” added Das.