MDA govt seeks Singh’s intervention to scrap CAB

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 18, 2019

SHILLONG: A delegation of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday sought the intervention of the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh requesting the Centre to reconsider its decision to pass the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016. 

Sangma was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, cabinet ministers and MLAs of the different political parties supporting the MDA. 

“We have expressed our concern and have asked the Central government to reconsider (the matter),” the Chief Minister said after the meeting with the Union Home Minister. 

Asked if his government is demanding the scrapping of the citizenship bill, Sangma replied absolutely and said, “Modification is not something that is there on the card right now but we have asked the government not to go ahead with it (bill) at this moment.” 

He informed that the union home minister has assured the delegation that he would look into it adding that the Centre is also planning to call all the chief ministers of the NE region to discuss on the matter. 

The Citizenship Amendment Bill which seeks to provide citizenship to people from three foreign countries – Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, despite widespread protests in the North East region.