APCC to conduct mass signature campaign

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2016

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, May 9: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), in a press meet on Wednesday at Rajiv Bhawan revealed that the party is all set to gearing up the signature campaign across the state to oppose the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2016. APCC president Ripun Bora informed that the campaigning will be carried out from May 14 to 24 at the panchayat, blcok and the district level. The APCC will also submit series of memoranda to the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) through the respective Circle Officers, Block Development Officers and the Deputy Commissioners.

The APCC president has rolled out the partition within the party following the differences in opinion regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2016 and said that any representative can express their individual opinion on a particular issue. But Congress as a party clearly stands against the legislation. The party has already initiated action against those who went against the party decision. “We have already served show-cause notice to Dr Ardhendu Kr Dey,” said Bora. He alleged that the AGP is misleading the people of Assam on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2016. Taking reference of the statement that the AGP will tender resignation if the legislation is passed, Bora ridiculed, “What would be the significance of such resignation once the Bill is passed?” Moreover, Bora asserted that if the AGP had the guts to oppose, “They could have resigned once the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha,” for which Bora believed that the “AGP is staging a ploy in the name of opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2016.”

While rubbishing the statement made by Gautam Roy alleging that the former chief minister Tarun Gogoi initiated the cabinet decisions to provide political asylum to the Hindu Bangladeshi, Gogoi asked the former minister to establish his claim and said, “I will quit politics if the statement is proved.” Gogoi further questioned, “If I passed any resolution to accommodate the Bangladeshi Hindu, would Sonowal have remained silent?”

Exclaiming that there is no trace of peace negotiator Rebati Phukan’s even after 18 days, Gogoi said, “the law and order situation is deteriorating from bad to worse.” He emphasized that the rape incidents are increasing across the state.