Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur CMs now take stand against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

Guwahati, February 12, 2019:

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has finally spoken out against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016. The Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, who has received much criticism due to his refusal to condemn what is largely understood to be an “unconstitutional” and “unsecular” Bill, finally decided to take a stand when Khandu and Manipur counterpart N Biren Singh appealed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh not to table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha due to the "sentiment of the people".

The appeal was made during a meeting where Khandu and Manipur counterpart N Biren Singh sat with the Home Minister on February 11 to apprise him of the prevailing situation in the Northeast.

“We have requested the Home Minister not to table the Bill as there is a lot of hue-and-cry i the Rajya Sabha”, Khandu said yesterday while addressing the media.

Khandu has thus far been taking a neutral stance regarding the Bill in frontier state Arunachal Pradesh, where he is leading a BJP-led Government. Similarly, Biren Singh’s Manipur is faced with intense and sustained protests due to which mobile date internet has been banned in the state for 5 days in order to discourage protesters.

Khandu and Singh’s flip on the issue proves that the BJP party is losing even their staunchest allies in the Northeast due to the unpopular Bill. Yet, despite their pleas, the Central Government intends to push through in the Rajya Sabha in the upcoming days. It is scheduled to be moved tomorrow by Singh.