‘Shah threatening, blackmailing north-eastern people over Citizenship Amendment Bill’

Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president leader Ripun Bora on Monday accused BJP president Amit Shah of blackmailing and threatening people of Assam and northeast over Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Rajya Sabha MP Bora said, “He (Amit Shah) is blackmailing the people of Assam and northeast. He is threatening them. He said that ‘you will have to bring BJP to power in Lok Sabha Elections 2019 then BJP will bring Citizenship Bill’.”

This came after Shah while addressing a public gathering at Assam BJP State office in Guwahati said, “Assam cannot prosper without Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). We passed it in the Lok Sabha but the Centre failed to table it in the Rajya Sabha. The CAB will be added in our manifesto of the Lok Sabha elections and we are committed to taking the Bill to the far reaches of Assam.”

Advocating for Shah, BJP MLA Ashok Singh said that party’s national president’s stand-in regard with the situation in Assam is correct and the BJP would not let Assam become another Kashmir.

“The national president has said, that we would not allow Assam to become the second Kashmir. The BJP is working as per this agenda. It is our determination to not let Assam become second Kashmir. Due to the illegal migration of Bangladeshi Muslims, equilibrium of about 15 districts has been disturbed. Bangladeshis Muslims are in majority now. Amit Shah’s comment with regard to the situation in Assam is right,” Singhal told ANI.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

On February 13, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 lapsed in the Rajya Sabha, amid protests by the members of the House.

[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]