Won’t do anything against indigenous people: Rijiju

New Delhi, May 21: Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju has reiterated that the Centre will not take any step that goes against the interest of the indigenous people of Assam.

Giving such an assurance to a delegation of Northeast Women Front (NEWF), Rijiju said, “The stand of our government is clear – the nation comes first, and the interest of the party comes later. We’ll not take any decision that goes against the interest of the nation and its people,” said Rijiju.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is compiling a report on the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. “Once we get the report, we’ll discuss it thoroughly,” said Rijiju.

The NEWF delegation led by former minister Rekharani Das Boro, Soumitra Hazarika and Queen Hazarika also called on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and raised the Citizenship Bill issue. They were assured by Kejriwal too that the AAP would oppose the Bill.

The NEWF also launched a signature campaign against the Bill.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the pro-talk ULFA led by its chairman Aurobindo Rajkhowa had a meeting with Central and State government officials in an undisclosed location in the national capital on Monday. The tripartite talks discussed various demands raised by the pro-talk ULFA leaders. The ULFA leaders also raised the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 during the talk.