The Trinamul Congress on Tuesday promised a delegation of the North East Students’ Organisation (Neso) that it would oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill within and outside Parliament.
The assurance came a day after the Samajwadi Party made the same promise to the Neso delegation. The Centre is going to table the bill in the winter session of Parliament despite protests across the Northeast against the legislation.
All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) president Dipanka Kumar Nath said a Neso delegation met TMC leader and Lok Sabha MP Saugata Roy in New Delhi, seeking his party’s opposition to the bill.
AASU is a constituent of Neso, which also includes All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union, All Manipur Students’ Union, Naga Students’ Federation, Khasi Students’ Union, Garo Students’ Union, Mizo Zirlai Pawl and Twipra Students’ Federation.
“The delegation appealed to Roy for opposition to the CAB. It explained to Roy how the bill was anti-constitutional, communal, against the interests of indigenous people, protector of illegal migrants and how it violates the Assam Accord. Roy told the delegation the TMC had opposed the bill earlier and would continue to do so,” Nath said.
The Neso delegation comprised Nath, its chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa, adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya, KSU president Lambok S. Marngar and AASU general secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi.
Neso said it is also a responsibility of the regional and national political parties to protect the culture, language, identity and existence of the northeastern people.
The delegation on Monday also met Shillong MP Vincent H. Pala and Meghalaya cabinet minister and working president of People’s Democratic Front, Banteidor Lyngdoh, urging them to oppose the bill. Considering the anti-bill protests in the Northeast, the Centre on Monday reviewed the region’s security scenario.
Silchar sit-in: Members of the Assam Indigenous People Protection Committee on Tuesday staged a sit-in in Silchar against the bill. They also burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and Silchar MP Rajdeep Roy for advocating the bill. The committee also threatened to launch a massive movement against the bill.
Additional reporting by Satananda Bhattacharjee in Hailakandi