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  India   All India  05 Jan 2019  Govt still firm on Citizenship Bill, says Modi

Govt still firm on Citizenship Bill, says Modi

THE ASIAN AGE. | MANOJ ANAND
Published : Jan 5, 2019, 1:21 am IST
Updated : Jan 5, 2019, 4:54 am IST

However, the bill has been widely hailed by people’s groups in the Barak Valley, where Bengali Hindus are the dominant group in the population.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured the people of Assam that no genuine citizen will be left out of the NRC and hoped that the citizenship bill will be soon get Parliament’s nod. (Photo: Twitter/BJP4India)
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured the people of Assam that no genuine citizen will be left out of the NRC and hoped that the citizenship bill will be soon get Parliament’s nod. (Photo: Twitter/BJP4India)

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that no Indian will be left out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and reiterated that his government was determined to go ahead and pass the Citizenship (Amen-demnt) Bill 2016.

Addressing a massive BJP rally at Ramnagar at the outskirts of Silchar town in South Assam, Mr Modi said: “Aapko fir se bharosa deta hoon, koi bhi bharatiya nagrik National Register of Citizens of India (NRC) mein se nahi chootega” (I assure you, no Indian will be left outside of the NRC).

Making it clear that the BJP government at the Centre was determined to pass the Citizenship Bill, Mr Modi said the Centre’s move to pass the Citizenship (Amendment ) Bill 2016 was aimed at “atoning” for a “Himalayan blunder” committed during the Partition of the subcontinent in 1947. “The Citizenship Bill is not for anyone’s benefit, but a penance against the injustice done in the past, I hope it will be passed soon in Parliament,” said the PM, and this was widely welcomed by the crowd present at the rally.

The Citizenship Bill, which has whipped up massive protests across the Brahmaputra Valley inAssam by indigenous peoples’ groups, is to grant citizenship to refugees from minority communities, including Hindu Bengalis, in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

However, the bill has been widely hailed by people’s groups in the Barak Valley, where Bengali Hindus are the dominant group in the population. It was obvious Mr Modi wanted to woo voters in the Barak Valley on the basis of the move to pass the Citizenship Bill.

The Prime Minister also thanked the people of Assam for their support to the saffron party in the panchayat elections, in which the ruling BJP won over 41 per cent gaon panchayats and half the zila parishads.

Mr Modi also harped on the BJP government’s steps to spur development in Assam, especially in surface communication infrastructure, in the light of the principle of “transformation through transportation”. He said: “We are acting very fast as per the Act East Policy to expedite the development of Assam.” The PM was referring dozens of development projects initiated and completed during the current NDA period. The PM also said his government has decided to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, that had been pending for the last 30-35 years.

Earlier in the day, the PM, addressing a public meeting in Imphal, Manipur, reiterated the BJP-led government’s commitment to spur the development of the Northeast, making it the gateway of development of “New India”.

Addressing the rally at Hapta Kangjeibung Ground in Imphal, Mr Modi said: “The Northeast was termed the gateway to the country’s Independence by Netaji (Subhas Chandra Bose), and the BJP government is striving to make it the new gateway of development of the country.”

The Prime Minister also inaugurated eight projects, including the Integrated Check Post at Moreh and the Dolaithabi Barrage Project at Maraori, besides laying the foundation for five projects, including two flood lighting systems at Khuman Lampak sports complex during a public meeting in Imphal on Friday.

Tags: narendra modi, national register of citizens
Location: India, Assam, Guwahati (Gauhati)