SHILLONG, FEB 5: Ruling National People’s Party (NPP) leader and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong today said the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government is open to the idea of implementing the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state if the citizenship bill becomes a law.
“We (MDA) are open to that (implementation of ILP) but it is subjected to discussion. Therefore, you cannot tell us to immediately implement it,” Tynsong told reporters on Tuesday.
He said the state government will find ways to protect the indigenous population if the central government goes ahead with its decision to make the Citizenship Amendment Bill becomes a law.
The KHADC chief Hispreaching Son Shylla had recently served a one-week ultimatum to the government demanding the immediate approval of the Bill related to the implementation of the Inner Line Permit in the Khasi Hills region.
Reacting to this, the deputy chief minister asked the KHADC chief to stop making the matter an “emotional issue”.
Tynsong informed that the NPP under the leadership of chief minister Conrad K Sangma and other political parties from the North East region have led a delegation to take up the matter with the Centre in New Delhi.
“We have met union home minister Rajnath Singh and told the government not to implement citizenship bill. We have also met the NDA allies who have also agreed and assured to oppose the bill,” the NPP leader said.
Informing that the delegation led by the chief minister has also served an ultimatum to the BJP-led NDA government on the matter, Tynsong said, “We will wait and see whether they (Centre) will place the CAB in Rajya Sabha or not till February 13.”
Asked, the deputy chief minister further informed that the state government is already in the process of reviewing the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016. “We are in the process of reviewing to further strengthen this Act,” he said.
By Our Reporter
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