Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Monday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to exclude the Northeastern States from the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
Zoramthanga, who addressed the fourth North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Conclave in Guwahati on Monday, did not elaborate his reasons for excluding eight Northeastern States from the purview of the CAB.
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However, he remarked: “All political parties that have supported the contentious bill are on the verge of committing suicide.”
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“If at all, the CAB has to be implemented, then please see to it if the Northeastern States can be excluded from it, for which, I request you to look into the matter and take into consideration the vulnerability of this region,” said Zoramthanga urged Amit Shah.
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The Mizoram CM further said, “The Citizenship Bill is a very sensitive issue in each of the eight Northeastern States and those who have (political parties) supported it, are contemplating suicide.”
“I have full faith in the present dispensation at the Centre and we believe that it will not take a hasty decision that will adversely affect the interests of the region,” said Zoramthanga.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, also known as CAB, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who had entered India due to religious persecution.
However, the Bill was vehemently opposed by most of the regional political parties, students and other organizations from the Northeastern region.
Although the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, 2019, it lapsed in the Rajya Sabha.
(With inputs from our Mizoram correspondent Aniruddha Laskar)