Exempt Northeast from Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: Bhubaneshwar Kalita

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI : A day ahead of the crucial meeting between the Union Home Ministry and Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in New Delhi, one of the JPC members Bhubaneshwar Kalita on Monday gave a new twist to the burning issue by saying that the proposed legislation must exempt the North East from its purview. Kalita, Congress MP in Rajya Sabha from Assam, said if the Bill is passed it would be a disaster for Assam and other North Eastern States which are facing the vexed illegal foreigners’ problem. He expressed fear and apprehension that passage of the Bill will cause social disturbance and law and order problem in the region.

“Under such circumstances even if the Centre goes ahead to pass the Bill in the Parliament it must ensure that the proposed law must exempt Assam and other NE States from its purview. The Bill must not be imposed in NE,” Kalita said.

The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting between the Home Ministry and JPC will be oral evidence of the representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice (Legislative Department & Department of Legal Affairs) and Ministry of External Affairs on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.