Urban Mirror Correspondent
New Delhi, January 21: The Lok Gathbandhan Party (LGP) today criticised the NDA government for passage of Citizenship (amendment) bill in Lok Sabha without proper deliberation as it has all the possibility of pushing the trouble-torn North-East (NE) into fresh round of ethnic turmoil. The LGP said the BJP-controlled NDA government is more guided by its communal agenda than ensuring citizenship to immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The spokesman of the party said here on Monday that “religion-based” move for granting citizenship from these countries is highly questionable and it could especially stirred the hornet’s nest in north-east region of the country where ethno-cultural feelings are very strong. Pointing out that already protests have started surfacing in Assam against the amendment, the spokesman said the move is absolutely lopsided, politically motivated and not in the larger interest of the nation. The spokesman said reckless populist gambling of the BJP is certainly fraught with dangers in Assam which has a long history of violent agitation over the issue. The spokesman said as against March 24, 1971 deadline of granting citizenship under Assam Accord, the new amendment bill has stipulated December 31, 2014 which the stake-holders in Assam have opposed. The spokesman said the Assamess are opposed to Bengali-speaking Hindus who are likely to be benefited under the new law. The spokesman said in view of complicated ethnic make-up of Assam the central government should not make any efforts to break it which might push the region to fresh fire.
The spokesman said since such sensitive issues should be resolved with political consensus at the ground level and without jaundiced view, the NDA government’s decision is simply politically motivated. The spokesman said since North-East ethno- religious make up is extremely complex and region has already faced massive violence following immigration from erstwhile East Pakistan, the issue required to be handled careful and not in a huff with an eye on forthcoming Lok Sabha election. The religion-based citizenship is against the tenets of the Constitution, the spokesman said and added that the amendment bill should be put on hold for fresh review and proper deliberation in national interest.
