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AGP urges JPC to scrap citizenship Bill

By SPL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, Oct 21 - Ahead of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 next week, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has urged the panel chairman Rajendra Agrawal to withdraw the proposed Bill.

An AGP delegation led by its president Atul Bora met Agrawal at his residence in Meerut near here and conveyed that the people of Assam will never accept the proposed Bill under any circumstances. State minister Keshab Mahanta, Biren Baishya, Dr Kamala Kalita and Ramendra Narayan Kalita were also the part of the delegation.

�On this issue, we have already submitted a series of memorandums to the President, the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and the JPC from time to time, explaining the reasons behind our objections to the Bill. In this connection, it is pointed out that the indigenous people of Assam, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, are against the Bill,� said the delegation.

The JPC is well aware that Assam is neither in a position to accept any more illegal migrants nor will it accept them. The historic Assam Accord has suitable provisions for safeguarding the identity, culture, language and the way of life of the Assamese people and the Government of India should follow it, said the AGP leaders.

Earlier on September 29, an eight-member delegation of the AGP met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here and sought the JD(U) support against the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Parliament. The delegation was led by the then AGP president and former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. The party is an ally of the BJP-led government in Assam.

The delegation submitted a memorandum to Nitish Kumar, who is also the JD(U) national president, urging him to extend his party�s support and cooperation, both inside and outside Parliament, to prevent the passage of the Bill which is likely to be tabled in the Winter Session of Parliament.

The JD(U) later adopted a resolution at its national executive, expressing its opposition to the Bill.

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