Mass opposition against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, continues in Assam as Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), an ally of the ruling BJP in the state, has started state-wide signature campaign against the bill from May 12.
AGP leaders, who started the signature campaign in Guwahati, said that they are planning to collect as many as 50 lakh signatures from across the state before sending it to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) which is reviewing the bill.
“There is no option but to oppose the bill. We will gather the entire signatures and send it to the JPC so that they understand that the people of Assam do not support the bill. The bill, if passed, will bring trouble for the state,” said senior AGP leader Manoj Saikia.
The campaign will continue till May 30.
The bill, if passed, will grant citizenship to all the non-Muslim migrants from the neighbouring countries who have come to India till December 31, 2014.
AGP, though an ally in the government, has been opposing the bill and advocating for implementation of Assam Accord clauses which says March 25 of 1971 as the cut-off date to identify illegal citizens irrespective of religion and caste.
Other organizations, including the students’ bodies of all across the region, have been opposing the bill. Meghalaya government has already opposed the bill in front of the JPC.
