Government’s failure to introduce Citizenship Bill in Rajya Sabha roils BJP

Party may have to contend with its political cost in coming LS polls

The Centre’s failure to introduce the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha on the last day of the 16th Lok Sabha on Wednesday is attributed to reasons ranging from serious apprehensions expressed by security agencies about disturbances in northeast India to the government backing away from contentious Bills in order to ensure smooth passage for the motion of thanks for the President’s address.

The fallout from this failure, however, has been felt by the ruling BJP’s leaders and allies across the region’s States. While Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s stock has been lifted by his early decision to demand a rethink on the Bill, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ended up losing on most counts — from being attacked by the Bill’s critics for his silence, despite having expressed misgivings to the party in internal forums, to having to contend with the disappointment of Bengali Hindus for the lapsed legislation.

The political cost from having first championed the Bill and then failing to get it pushed through Parliament is something that the BJP will have to contend with in the coming general elections, said senior party leaders, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The top party officials said Mr. Sonowal, a former leader of the All Assam Students Union who had been at the forefront of struggles for Assamese identity in the past including having been the petitioner in the case that led to the striking down of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, had been uncomfortable with the situation from the outset.

‘Painted as villain’

“He has, inadvertently, been painted as a villain among a large section of people who expected him to protest the Bill to the party vocally, and [instead he] remained silent,” said a party official, declining to be identified. “On the other hand, N. Biren Singh was vocal in asking for a rethink and, with the Bill lapsing, has claimed some moral high ground,” the official added.

“Our local units in Manipur and Meghalaya were vocal in their opposition, so the political situation there is retrievable, but in Assam, that is not so, with Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pushing the Bill, and therefore disappointing the Bengali Hindus for not getting it through, and Mr. Sonowal, by keeping silent alienating regional aspirations,” said the official. “In a line, the handling of the withdrawal of the Bill has also created a mess,” said the party office-bearer.

The Home Ministry had also been reluctant to push for the Bill as reports from the security agencies had said that the Bill had caused “irreparable damage” and noted that there was a strong emotional upsurge against the legislation.