CAB row | NESO, AASU, KMSS meet Rahul Gandhi in Delhi

Guwahati, February 5, 2019:

As the current Rajya Sabha session reaches its climax and the fate of the Citizenship

(Amendment) Bill 2016 hangs in the balance, leading figures from the Northeast have been trying their darnedest to garner more opposition to the Bill. Now, they have garnered the support of Congress President Rahul Gandhi as well.

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma along with a delegation comprising of AGP Chief Atul Bora have been meeting senior members of political parties and have convinced many members of Rajya Sabha to vote against the Bill.

Now, a body comprising of the most prominent voices against the Bill, including the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Northeastern Students’ Union (NESO) as well as the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) have held a meeting with Congress President Rahul Gandhi regarding the Bill.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President, who was also present during the talks, shared on social media that the delegates had participated in a “series of discussions” with the Congress supremo and had resolved to “oppose and defeat” the Bill at “all cost”.

AASU Chief Advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya, KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi, Hiren Gohain and his intellectuals, as well as the leader of opposition in Assam, Debabrata Saikia was also present during the meeting.

Despite increasing pressure from opposition parties to scrap the Bill the BJP is adamant to pass it through, as admitted by BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav, who has admitted that it will be presented as a “supplementary Bill”. Further, Prime Minister Modi has refused to meet the Northeast delegation, citing a “busy” schedule.

Thus, from these developments, it can be argued that under no circumstances will the BJP buckle in view of the loud and clear protests as well as increasing opposition in Parliament against the Bill.