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Amit Shah cancels visit to North-east as stir continues
Shah was supposed to take part in the passing out parade at the North Eastern Police Academy near Shillong on Sunday and a festival in Tawang on Monday.
Amid widespread protests in the North-east against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, Union home minister Amit Shah has cancelled his visit to Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, scheduled on Sunday and Monday, officials familiar with the developments said on Friday.
The home minister’s visit to the North-east has been cancelled, a ministry official said, without citing any reason. However, an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the decision has been taken due to the prevailing situation in the region.
Shah was supposed to take part in the passing out parade at the North Eastern Police Academy near Shillong on Sunday and a festival in Tawang on Monday.
At least three people have died in Assam following widespread protests against the Act, which was approved by the Parliament on Wednesday and given the presidential assent Thursday night.
Since Thursday, curfew has been imposed in several districts of Assam, while the Army has carried out flag marches in many districts to control protests and violence. Protesters torched several vehicles and shops in Shillong over the last two days.
Officials cited above said the home minister is closely monitoring the situation in Assam from Delhi. On Thursday, he assured a delegation of the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), a BJP ally, that the Modi government would try to address their concerns over the new Act. He had also met Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman, the head of the royal family of Tripura, and Tripura People’s Front (TPF) president, Patal Kanya Jamatia, on the matter after which he tweeted, “Met with delegations of IPFT and Joint Movement Against CAB from Tripura and discussed their concerns over CAB. Modi government will try to solve their issues in a positive way”.
According to the Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants and given Indian citizenship. The act says the refugees of the six communities will be given Indian citizenship after residing in India for five years, instead of the previously stipulated period of 11 years.
