NEW DELHI, Jan 3 - The draft report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was adopted on Thursday, with the BJP members moving a recommendation that all steps be taken to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
The meeting witnessed a heated exchange of words between Congress MP Bhubaneswar Kalita and JPC chairman Rajendra Agrawal, following which the former walked out of the meeting, sources said.
The upset Congress member later told this newspaper that the government has very cleverly diluted Clause 5 of the Assam Accord, while taking some minor steps to implement Clause 6 of the Accord. The Centre had yesterday decided to set up a committee to expeditiously implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
The MP alleged that Clause 5 that deals with the cut-off date of March 24, 1971 will not be applicable to Bengali Hindus, as the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill proposes a fresh cut-off date of December 31, 1971. The cut-off date as per Clause 5 will be applicable to all other communities, explained the MP.
�The Centre by making some announcements regarding Clause 6 very cleverly ensured changes in Clause 5,� commented the MP.
JPC members Ramen Deka, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, Swapan Das Gupta and B Mahtan made a recommendation that the Central government should take all steps to implement Clause 6 of the Accord.
Sources said the draft report has been passed in toto barring a change of few words even as the JPC chairman has extended time for submission of dissent note. The report will now be circulated among the members. The report will be tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday, sources confirmed.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference here today, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that time has come for all opposing organisations and parties to unite against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. �If the Cabinet announcement was a New Year gift then what is the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill,� asked Gogoi.
He said the Assam Accord and the Bill are two separate issues. �If there is religious persecution of Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh then why is the Government of India silent and why has it not taken it up with the neighbouring country,� he said.
�The BJP thinks that the people of Assam are gullible and the Bill is a big insult to the Assamese people,� Gogoi said.
