SHILLONG, JAN 7: The conglomeration of 14 NGOs Monday demanded the Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma to drop the BJP from his government in protest against the Centre’s aggressive move to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) 2016.
Leaders and activists of the anti-CAB under the banner of the Confederation of Hynniewtrep Social Organisation (CoHSO) also took out a surprise protest in front of BJP Meghalaya state office in the city amid tight security.
They also demanded all the members including the state president Shibun Lyngdoh of the BJP to resign en masse if the Bill is passed by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in July 2016 to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 with an aim to provide citizenships to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians facing prosecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the protest, CoHSO chairman and president of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) Robertjune Kharjahrin said though the state government had passed a cabinet resolution to oppose the CAB but it has not taken any further steps.
He said the BJP is still very much a part of the six-party Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by the National People’s Party (NPP) which only indicated that it is adopting a “double standard” attitude towards the issue.
“We would like to ask the CM that won’t it be a double standard if you oppose Narendra Modi’s Bill but still keep AL Hek (health minister) in your cabinet? We request the CM to stop playing double standard as we still believe in your leadership to lead the people of Meghalaya in opposing this Bill and we hope that you will soon drop the BJP from your government,” Kharjahrin said.
He said the regional political parties in the state are also requested to pressurize the same as if they don’t drop the BJP from the MDA government it will only mean that they are not serious against the issue.
Condemning the Prime Minister and his government, the CoHSO chairman further asked all the members of the BJP in Meghalaya to immediately seek the intervention of their central leadership in revoking the move to pass the CAB.
He said it would be pointless for the BJP members to remain in the party if the central leadership does not listen to them.
“So we request them if they still love the Hynniewtrep jaidbynriew, to immediately step down en masse from the BJP otherwise they will be tagged as “traitors” of the jaidbynriew,” he added.
According to him, the CAB if passed will surely wipe out the indigenous communities in the North East region.
The CoHSO also strongly condemned the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for submitting its recommendations without any change before the Parliament despite having heard the voice and sentiments of the people of North East region.
The conglomeration of 14 NGOs further extended its full support to the North East Bandh called by the North East Students’ Organization (NESO) on Tuesday.
“CoHSO will take part in enforcing the bandh which will be held tomorrow and we request all the people in the state to cooperate because your cooperation will send a strong message to the government of India that we are against the CAB,” Kharjahrin said.
He said similar support is also being extended to all social organizations and political parties in the North East and other parts of the country who are unitedly opposing the Bill.
Meanwhile, the CoHSO is also convening an emergency meeting to announce agitational programmes to ensure that the NDA government scraps the CAB.
“If the Bill is passed we will take stringent steps to oppose the NDA government and all parties who endorse and support the CAB,” Kharjahrin stated.
By Our Reporter
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