BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad now opposes citizenship law
After supporting BJP over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a key party ally in Assam has now decided to oppose it.
The AGP announced its decision on Saturday after a meeting of the senior party leaders. The party will approach the Supreme Court against the CAA according to media reports.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. AGP in the meeting have also planned to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the issue.
The AGP which is a part of the BJP led Sarbananda Sonowal government in Assam, voted for the Act in the parliament, but after violent protests in the state after the passing of the Act where 4 people died, many functionaries from the ruling alliance resigned from their posts stating that the leaders of the state had failed to determine the resentment in people against the CAA.
The passing of the Citizenship Bill in the Parliament had plunged the northeast, especially the state of Assam, into deep chaos with locals and students hitting the streets in thousands, burning tyres and wooden logs prompting the administration to impose curfew in Guwahati and suspend mobile internet services in 10 districts of the state.
However, thousands of demonstrators defied the indefinite curfew and marched onto the streets.
To control the deteriorating law and order situation in Assam, eight columns of the Indian Army were on Thursday deployed in Assam and Tripura as per the requests made by the governments of the two states.
The violent protests had brought road, rail and air traffic to a standstill.
The Army conducted flag marches in Guwahati and three districts including Dibrugarh and Tezpur and the authorities extended the suspension of Internet services for another 48 hours from 12 noon on Thursday.
According to the Citizenship Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
The indigenous people of the northeastern states are worried that the entry of these people will endanger their identity and livelihood.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and by Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
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