BJP Seeks to Divide & Rule through CAA, says Mukul Sangma

Shillong, January 21, 2019:

Mukul Sangma, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Meghalaya, believes that the ruling BJP party is dividing the people of the Northeast Indian states by using the Citizenship Amendment Act as a tool.

Talking to Inside Northeast, Sangma said that unfortunately the issue has divided the Northeast, as exempting a few areas from the purview of the CAA has created tensions in the region. This, Sangma believes, is part of the BJP's 'divide and rule' policy.

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"But we are all belonging to the same country. We are all stakeholders. Its effect will spread to all nooks and corners of the country. We are all equally concerned, as the country must forward as one We cannot tread alone", the Congress leader said.

With the Supreme Court slated to hear 75 petitions challenging the CAA, Sangma further stated that the issue of the CAA moves above and beyond the 'legality aspect'.

"I will not presume or assume, because it is not just about how one will look at the legality aspect. Is it not a fact that India is a Union of States? The history and legacy of the country cannot be distorted, but there is an effort to distort (by the ruling party) and legacy is being distorted.

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Sangma said that "inclusion" and "diversity", which are the strengths of the nation, is under threat, and the current regime is sowing "discord" among the people, as the people are divided over the CAA, and some people, who have not been exempted, would likely feel threatened.

"That is not something that augurs well for the nation. If your child starts feeling insecure, how does it not affect your family? We have to all stand together as one", Sangma asserted.

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