Will not accept CAB in any format, protest to continue: AASU

Criticising the BJP government, All Assam Students' Union chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said that that Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was bad for the northeast and they will continue their movement over the issue. He said, "We will never accept CAB".

New Delhi:The All Assam Students Union (AASU) on Tuesday told Home Minister Amit Shah that they will not accept Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) 'in any format.'

While speaking to ETV Bharat after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the issue, AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said, "Our stand was clear. We will not accept CAB at any cost. This bill is against the principle of historic Assam Accord".

Criticising the BJP government, Bhattacharya said that neither Assam nor the northeast is a dumping ground for illegal foreigners.

"Ahead of the last Assembly election, BJP in its vision document has announced that they will implement all clauses of the Assam Accord, but after they won, they are speaking something else, and are giving protection to illegal foreigners too," said Bhattacharya.

He said that AASU will start afresh agitation against the Centre's move of giving citizenship to the people coming from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

AASU, an influential student organisation from Assam had spearheaded Assam agitation against illegal foreigners (Bangladeshis) in the late '70s.

The seven-year-long agitation ended with the historic Assam Accord in 1985. The accord which was signed between the Assam government, central government and AASU speaks about detecting 'illegal foreigners' entered Assam after March 25, 1971.

The bill provides citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who were subjected to persecution in their countries.

Apart from the Chief Ministers of the three states, the activists of North-East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP), Manipur People Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MANPAC), and members of the civil society were also present in the meeting at Assam Bhavan here.

NEFIP and MANPAC are opposing the Bill, which provides for granting citizenship to non-Muslims in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who are facing persecution in their countries.

Earlier, North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convener Himanta Biswa Sarma said that during the meeting the Home Minister hinted that the Bill could be introduced during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

"The Home Minister has indicated that the Bill will be introduced in Parliament's Winter Session," Assam's Finance Minister Sarma said.

Shah held discussions with several politicians, activists and representatives of the civil society member of the northeast states over the proposed Bill during his meetings on November 29, 30 and December 3.

However, ever since the BJP government had initiated the move of getting the CAB passed was vehemently opposed by AASU.

"We will not accept CAB in any format," said Bhattacharya.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was also present in the meeting that took place at Delhi's Assam House.

Notably, anti-CAB agitators have shown a black flag to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal before the meeting.