The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has invited the Chief Ministers of northeastern States and leaders of socio-cultural bodies, students’ organisations and political parties for discussions on the plan to amend the Citizenship Act, officials said on November 28.
Those who have been invited for discussions, scheduled for November 29 and November 30 , include the North East Students’ Organisation, All Bodo Students’ Union and student bodies of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. The meetings with the Chief Ministers will be held on November 30, an official said.
Leaders of several parties , both regional and state chiefs of national political parties — and heads of socio-cultural organisations have also been invited for the discussions, the official said.
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The Ministry has convened the meetings following a strong protest by many organisations in the region against the Bill to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to be present at the meetings, another official said. The Bill seeks to amend the Act to grant Indian nationality to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who come to India after religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan even if they don’t possess proper documents. This was a promise of the BJP in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
A large section of the people and organisations in the region have opposed the Bill, saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord, 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.