Indigenous to Become 'Second-Class Citizens' if CAB is Passed: AASU Leader Samujjal Bhattacharya

Guwahati, November 17, 2019:

Samujjal Bhattacharya, the Chief Adviser of the All Assam, opining that the proposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is "communal" in nature, has resolved to oppose the Bill at all costs. He further stated that the indigenous 'sons of the soil' will become 'second-class citizens' if the Bill is passed.

Speaking to Inside Northeast, Bhattacharya said, "The people of Assam and Northeast are opposing this Bill, and will continue to oppose it. The BJP party wants to enact the Bill because they want to secure the illegal Bangladeshis' votes. We cannot let that happen at any cost.."

Issuing a warning to the Central Government, Samujjal said that "Assam and Northeast are not dumping grounds of illegal Bangladeshis", adding "beyond 1971, we refuse to take the load of illegal Bangladeshis."

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Bhattacharya further alleged that the move to enact the Citizenship Bill is a "conspiracy to marginalize the identity of the indigenous people of the Assam and Northeast."

Although Bhattacharya is aware that the ruling NDA-Government has majority in both the houses of Parliament, he is not fazed. "The BJP may have the numbers in Parliament, however, we refuse to become second-class citizens on our own turf. We will oppose the Bill wholeheartedly", he said.

It may be mentioned here that the Citizienship (Amendment) Bill will most likely be tabled in the winter session of the Parliament. Assam Finance Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has said that the Bill is being re-drafted before it can be introduced again.

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