KHNAM MLA to boycott Republic Day as a mark of protest against CAB

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 25, 2019

SHILLONG: The lone Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) legislator Adelbert Nongrum has decided to boycott the Republic Day celebration as a mark of protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill passed in the Lok Sabha recently.

“I have decided to boycott the Republic Day celebration as a mark of protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre,” Nongrum said on Friday.

Terming the CAB as “unconstitutional”, the North Shillong MLA said celebrating the Republic Day will be meaningless with the Centre attempting to destroy the backbone of the Indian Constitution through the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

“The CAB is unconstitutional because it seeks to provide citizenship to people from other countries based on religion,” he said while accusing the BJP of playing vote bank politics.

Nongrum also questioned the United Democratic Party (UDP) for wasting its time in discussing about the common candidate for the Lok Sabha elections instead of taking up common issues which are concerning the future generation.

The legislator further appealed to all concerned citizens to extend their support by attending the upcoming public meeting called by the Confederation of Hynniewtrep Social Organisations (CoHSO) at Students’ Field, Jaiaw on January 31.

“We should come out and send a strong message to the Union government that it should immediately scrap the CAB or exempt the state of Meghalaya from the purview of this Bill,” he said.

Nongrum also said that it is high time to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to prevent influx and illegal immigration from entering into the state.