A delegation of 11 political parties from BJP-ruled Manipur has urged Union home minister Rajnath Singh to incorporate a safeguard clause in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to protect the indigenous people of the northeast in general and of Manipur in particular before it comes up for voting in the Rajya Sabha, a member of the delegation said on Friday.
Led by Manipur’s BJP chief minister N Biren and BJP’s state unit president and Rajya Sabha member K Bhabananda, the delegation submitted a memorandum to Rajnath Singh. The Centre and the BJP claim that the controversial Bill has enough safeguards for local communities and their cultures.
The Citizenship Bill has sparked protests across the northeast and underlined fault lines in BJP units in the region.
The decision to submit a memorandum to the Centre was taken at an all political parties meeting in Imphal on January 28.
The meeting had also resolved to urge the Centre “for withdrawal of the said bill or incorporating a safeguarding clause in the bill before it is placed in the Rajya Sabha, so that when the bill become an Act, there is adequate safeguard for the protection of the indigenous people of the North East region in general and Manipur in particular.”
“If the above clause is not incorporated in the existing Bill in the form of an amendment, the people of Manipur and North East India fear that the demographic balance as existing now will be seriously affected,” the memorandum said.
{{/usCountry}}“If the above clause is not incorporated in the existing Bill in the form of an amendment, the people of Manipur and North East India fear that the demographic balance as existing now will be seriously affected,” the memorandum said.
{{/usCountry}}“We therefore urge to incorporate a safeguarding clause for the protection of the indigenous people of northeast region in general and state of Manipur in particular in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill before its passage in Rajya Sabha.”
Welcoming the clarification by the Union home ministry that a final decision to grant citizenship to the migrants would rest with the state government concerned, the memorandum signed by 13 representatives of 11 political parties including the ruling BJP, said, it would be only appropriate and add strength to the clarification if a separate safeguard clause is incorporated in the Bill.
The opposition Congress party did not attend the all political parties meeting in Imphal. Leaders of nine political parties – including the state units of the CPI, RSP, CPI(M), NCP, Forward Bloc, BSP, JD(S) and Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance who attended the meeting, refused to join the delegation to Delhi. They had demanded the withdrawal of the Bill and summoning a special session of the assembly on the issue.
Earlier this week, ten political parties from the region, including the BJP’s current and former allies came together on a joint platform in Guwahati to oppose the Bill.