Meghalaya CM Demands Centre to Exempt Assam from Purview of 'CAA'

Shillong, January 11, 2019:

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday sought full exemption from the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Meghalaya and the other Northeast Indian states, including Assam. We are demanding from GoI for implementation of ILP in the State and seek protection and exemption of CAA for the people of Assam as well.

During a Nokma Council meeting at Jengjal, Sangma told the gathering, "I am thankful to the Government of India for having exempted the state of Manipur, a large part of Meghalaya, but we still demand the Government of India that even the non-scheduled areas in the State of Meghalaya, full Meghalaya, must be exempted.."

Bringing up the issue of Assam's exemption from the CAA, Meghalaya, he said, "We are very firm even now, and our demand still stands with Government of India."

"We also feel people of Northeast...people of Assam...also need similar protection", Sangma stated, reiterating his demand for ILP in all the states of the Northeast region, including Assam.

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It may be mentioned here that the Meghalaya Assembly had last month unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union government to implement ILP under the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1873, in the state. Sangma had even approached Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking the implementation of the ILP to safeguard the people from the influx of foreigners.

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Earlier, Meghalaya's NPP MLA Agatha Sangma, who is also the Chief Minister's sister, sparked an outcry after she voted in favour of the then C(A)B in Parliament, and angry citizens took to the streets to launch massive protests. Effigies of the ruling party's members were also burned as a mark of protest against the passage of the contentious legislation.

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