The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 that seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Agitators across the Northeast, including Assam, have been blocking roads and rail tracks, seeking revocation of the Bill
Solapur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Maharashtra’s Solapur, reached out to the people of the Northeast amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and assured them that the rights of the people will be safeguarded.
"I want to assure my brother and sisters of Assam and the Northeast, the youth there, that their rights will not be harmed," the Prime Minister said.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 that seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Agitators across the Northeast, including Assam, have been blocking roads and rail tracks, seeking revocation of the Bill.
State minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, said the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had committed a "historic blunder" by not extending support to the Bill.
At a time when Assam’s political turmoil was at its peak with massive protests against the Citizenship Bill, the Modi government has offered to subdue the situation by forming a high-powered committee with 100% Assamese people to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. To add to this, the government also approved the proposal to notify six communities of Assam to grant ST status on Tuesday.
With PTI inputs
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