Drop citizenship bill, Neda constituents tell Rajnath

GUWAHATI: Several constituent parties of the North East Democratic Alliance (Neda), an umbrella organization of parties of the region floated by BJP in 2016, on Friday asked Union home minister Rajnath Singh not to go ahead with the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
Led by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma of National People's Party and his Mizoram counterpart, Zoramthanga (Mizo National Front), a delegation of seven Neda members, including BJP, met Singh in New Delhi and conveyed to him that the bill was not acceptable to majority of the people in the region.

"All the coalition partners in Meghalaya, as well as Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga, expressed dissatisfaction and concern over the bill. We have expressed the concerns of various political parties, the civil society and the people of the northeastern region in general. Most people in the region will not accept the bill," said Sangma.

Sangma said they urged the home minister to reconsider and rethink on the bill. "There is no question of modification. We have urged the home minister not to go ahead with bill," he added. Conrad further said chief ministers of all the NE states should unite against the bill.