Govt to table Citizenship Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha today, Northeast tense

The contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and has been awaiting upper house nod.

The contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today. (PTI)

New Delhi: The contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and has been awaiting Rajya Sabha nod. The bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India even if they do not possess any document. The bill has been opposed by several organisations soon after the bill was cleared in the lower house, which led to widespread protests across the north-eastern states. The people of northeastern states have expressed apprehension that if it is enacted the indigenous people of the region would be adversely affected. Protesters many times used slogans which signals that they demanded independence. The North East Indigenous Peoples Forum (NEIPF) has accused the BJP-led NDA government of trying to "finish" the identity and culture of the indigenous people of the North East region by implementing the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Even when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited last week saw nude protests, a bandh, raising of black flags and burning of effigies by agitators over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The protesters burnt effigies of the prime minister and released black balloons into the air in different districts across the state. Modi was shown black flags in at least two places Guwahati on Saturday for the second consecutive day while on his way to the airport from the Raj Bhawan here. Protesters, belonging to the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP), showed black flags to Modi at Machkhowa area. However, PM has assured the people of Assam and the North East that the citizenship bill will in no way cause harm to their interest. "It is a national commitment to the people of the North East that they will not be harmed in any way and citizenship will be only granted after due investigation and recommendation of the state governments," Modi has said. The BJP is committed to implement the 36-year old Assam Accord and a committee set up on the implementation of its Clause 6 is a step in that direction, Modi has said. The BJP-led NDA government is committed to protect the language, culture, resources, hopes and aspirations of the people of Assam and North East, he has said. (With inputs from PTI)