Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi condemns CAB, calls it 'dangerous' for Assam

On Tuesday, former Assam Chief Minister and Congress leader Tarun Gogoi condemned the Citizenship Amendment Bill that was passed in the Lok Sabha saying that it would be dangerous for the culture of Assam. On Monday, past midnight, the Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 with 311 members favouring it and 80 voting against it. It was passed after a seven-hour-long debate.  CAB seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. 

Read | 11-hr Northeast bandh begins to protest against CAB

"This [CAB] is dangerous for Assam, we are next-door neighbours to Bangladesh. This Bill will adversely affect the culture, heritage and population structure of the North-East," Gogoi told ANI.

Slamming the bill, former CM Tarun Gogoi said that the bill will only encourage more people from Bangladesh to enter and settle in Assam as well as other States in the North East and thereby ruining the culture and heritage of the northeastern States. The bill proposes Indian citizenship to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India before December 31, 2014. The aim of the bill is to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country. However, the passing of the bill has led to strong protests in the North East. 

Read | PM Modi lauds Amit Shah after Lok Sabha passes Citizenship Amendment Bill

Popular fronts all out to protest

Various organisations of the region have launched a series of agitations against the Bill. Parties and organisations such as the Congress, AIUDF, All Assam Students Union, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union, Khasi Students Union, and the Naga Students Federation are backing the NESO to observe the bandh. A total of 16 left-leaning organisations such as the SFI, DYFI, AIDWA, AISF, AISA and the IPTA has also called a 12-hour bandh in Assam. 

Read | Here's how Asaduddin Owaisi justified his act of tearing the CAB Bill in Lok Sabha

Certain exemptions for the NE States

The Bill would not be applicable to Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram where the ILP system exists and those tribal regions of Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura which are governed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. This is the second region-wise bandh in this issue this year. Several organisations observed a bandh on January 8 when the earlier Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed. 

Read: RS Prasad responds to Owaisi's CAB criticism; says, 'No one has the guts to divide India'

(With Agency Inputs)