Amid widespread protests across the northeast over the contentious Citizenship Bill, National People’s Party(NPP) president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday threatened that his party will quit the BJP-led NDA if the proposed legislation is passed in Rajya Sabha.
The party also demanded that the Centre should not go ahead with passing the bill.
The NPP adopted a resolution on its decisions at its general body convention in which its leaders from all the four northeastern states where it is holding power or backing the government were present.
“The party took a unanimous resolution to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 and based on that decision, a resolution was passed. If the bill is passed, the NPP will break its ties with the NDA,” Mr. Sangma told mediapersons here after the meeting.
“This decision was taken today at the general body meeting,” he said, adding the NPP will submit the party’s resolution to the Centre for information and its consideration.
He said the resolution was adopted after receiving reports from various states in the region on the opposition to the bill.
Besides being in power in Meghalaya, the NPP backs the BJP governments in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.
The bill, being vehemently opposed in the northeast, was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8 and the Centre has said it will try to get the Rajya Sabha nod in this budget session.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public meeting at Changsari in Assam on Saturday assured the people of the region that the bill will in no way cause harm to their interests.
“It is a national commitment to the people of the northeast that they will not be harmed in any way and citizenship will be only granted after due investigation and recommendation of the state governments,” he said.
