NEW DELHI, Nov 18 - At least three hill states of the Northeast, which have inner line permit (ILP) system in place, are likely to be exempted from the purview of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
This was conveyed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to a delegation of senior leaders of the BJP from the region, when they called on him to express their concern over the CAB, sources said.
A senior BJP MP, who was part of the delegation of BJP-ruled states of the Northeast barring Assam, said they gave a feedback to the Union Home Minister about the agitated mood among the people over the Bill. �We were assured that the CAB will not be applicable in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram which have inner line permit system,� he said.
The CAB that has generated much heat in the region proposes to provide relief to those who have fled the neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan because of religious persecution.
The issue of CAB did not figure in the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of Lok Sabha held today. The government did not make any mention of the CAB in the meeting, a member of the committee told this newspaper.
Meanwhile, sources said that the Centre is mulling introduction of the Overseas Indian Card (OIC) in the Bill for the Hindu Bengalis and others who apply for citizenship under the CAB. There is also a proposal to change the cut-off date. The cut-off date in the last Bill was December 31, 2014.
Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta, who was also a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on CAB, when asked about the Bill, said that it is expected to be tabled towards the end of the Parliament session. The government is working on the Bill and may hold a round of consultation with the northeastern states given the opposition to the Bill in the region, he added.
A BJP MP, who is a member of the Department Related Standing Committee on Home Affairs, told this newspaper that in case of Assam, the Centre is considering several options.
One of the options being looked into is whether it is possible to keep out the Sixth Schedule areas out of the purview of the Bill. The BTAD, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao autonomous councils fall in the Sixth Schedule areas.
�Nothing is final yet; the government is working on it,� he added.
