Citizenship Bill to Weaken 'National Integrity': Former Tripura CM to Amit Shah

Agartala, 30 November, 2019:

Manik Sarkar, CPI (M) leader and former Chief Minister of Tripura, wrote to Union Minister Amit Shah to scrap the "disastrous" Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which is likely to be tabled during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

An important meeting on Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah held at last night New Delhi, which was boycotted by the Tripura opposition

Tripura CPM leaders like former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, former MP Jitendra Choudhury and party secretary Gautam Das were invited to the meeting but none of them chose to attend, as a sign of protest.

Manik Sarkar former CM of Tripura and CPI (M) politburo member send a letter to Amit Shah and in his letter, said: “I also feel very strongly that the amendments proposed by the Union Home Ministry to our Citizenship Act is fundamentally against the principles enshrined in our constitution. This bill virtually strikes at the root of the concept of Citizenship in India."

This may not only dilute the age-old cherished secular principles but also send a very negative, wrong and damaging message to our society, Sarkar said.

This may hurt and shatter our tradition of culture of unity in diversity. This may weaken our "national integrity”.

“Therefore, I cannot accept but very firmly oppose this proposed disastrous amendment to our present Citizenship Act. At the same time, very humbly I would request the Union Home Ministry not to press for this amendment, rather drop it for the greater interest of our national unity and integrity", Sarkar urged Shah.

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