The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has got support from Shiv Sena in opposing the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016.
An AGP delegation led by party president Atul Bora who went to meet Shiva Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that both the regional parties will work together to oppose the bill.
Thackeray has vowed to provide all necessary support to AGP in the parliament.
“You have come here with the genuine problems of Assam and its indigenous people. We have always been working for the indigenous people. We all will be together and work for it,” Thakarey told the AGP leaders during the meeting which took place on Saturday evening in Mumbai.
Asking the AGP leaders not to worry, the Shiv Sena chief said that all the Sena MPs who are in the parliament will stand in the support of AGP in opposing the bill. “This is not just your problem but a problem of the country men,” Thackeray added.
Both Shiv Sena and AGP have been allies of BJP but off-late, both the regional parties have expressed their opposition against the BJP.
The AGP leadership has even threatened to come out of the alliance if the BJP decides to go ahead with the bill in the parliament.
The Citizenship Amendment Bill which was tabled in the parliament in 2016 seeks to grant citizenship to the minorities who are non-Muslims of the neighbouring countries who have come here up till December 31, 2014.
“We have approached the Shiva Sena chief for his support to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill which is harmful for the country and especially for Assam. We had a great discussion and he agreed to help us,” said Atul Bora.
This is the first formal interaction between AGP and the Shiv Sena chief.
Assam irrigation minister and party working president Keshab Mahanta, food and civil supplies minister Phani Bhusan Choudhury and general secretaries Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Kamala Kalita and Birendra Prasad Baisya were present during the meeting.
Both the parties have also agreed to work together for the interest of strengthening regional politics.
After the bill was tabled in the parliament in 2016, it was sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for review and to add additional points after consulting with various groups of individuals and organizations.
