SHILLONG, Jan 18 - Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is planning to convene a meeting of Chief Ministers from the Northeastern States for a detailed consultation on the controversial Citizen�s Amendment Bill (CAB).
After meeting Singh at the Union Capital today, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma gave out the information about the meeting.
�Rajnath Singh plans to call a meeting of all CMs of the Northeastern States for a detailed consultation and we will discuss on this (CAB),� Sangma said.
Sangma met the Home Minister leading a delegation of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance. Members represented all the allies that include United Democratic Party, BJP, Hill State People�s Democratic Party, People�s Democratic Front, NCP and Independents.
Along with the MDA delegation, a delegation led by Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and some of his Cabinet colleagues also met the Home Minister with the same agenda.
Expressing concern over the CAB, Sangma and the MDA partners said that passing of the Bill would �disturb the social fabric of Meghalaya and the North East� by posing serious law and order problems in the region.
�The Citizenship Amendment Bill will affect North East to a large extent. The Bill is against the sentiments of the people of North East as this will have serious repercussions and will create law and order problems in the region,� Sangma said.
Sangma said that all the MDA partners and also the Mizoram delegation urged the Home Minister to reconsider its decision and not pass the Bill. �We hope the Government would not go ahead with the Bill,� he added.
The CM said that the Union Home Minister has assured the delegation that he would look into the concerns expressed by the members of the NDA allies. Sangma reiterated that the NPP would take a further decision if the Government goes ahead and passes the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
Tourism Minister Metbah Lyngdoh representing the UDP and Urban Affairs Minister Hamlet Dohling representing the PDF also requested the Home Minister on behalf of their parties that the Bill should not be passed.
Meanwhile, Health Minister AL Hek representing the BJP, who was also part of the delegation, said, �Everybody in Meghalaya is opposed to the Bill. I urge your good office to reconsider the decision for the people of Meghalaya and the North East.�
