Rahul Gandhi slams government over Citizenship Amendment Bill
Amid the ongoing protests over the passage of the Citizenship Bill in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he stands with the people of Northeast and remains at their service. Rahul Gandhi said the Citizenship Amendment Bill is a criminal attack on Northeast. "I stand in solidarity with people of Northeast and am at their service," Rahul Gandhi said on protests over the citizenship bill.
"Citizenship Amendment Bill is a criminal attack on Northeast, their way of life and idea of India," Rahul Gandhi added.
The Congress leader further accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of ethnically cleansing Northeast through the Bill.
"Citizenship Amendment Bill is an attempt by Modi-Shah govt to ethnically cleanse Northeast," Gandhi said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi had said, "The CAB is an attack on the Indian constitution. Anyone who supports it is attacking and attempting to destroy the foundation of our nation."
After being passed in the Lok Sabha, the Citizenship Amendment Bill will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, has exuded confidence of support by parties for the passage of the Bill.
Meanwhile, normal life came to a standstill in Assam and other parts of North East on Tuesday in spontaneous protests by people during the 11-hour statewide bandh called by students' unions and Left-democratic organisations against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed on Monday night. Several Left-leaning organisations, including the SFI, DYFI, AIDWA, AISF and AISA had also called a shutdown separately.
The Bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to minorities facing religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Huge processions were taken out in different areas of Guwahati, with protesters raising slogans against the emotive legislation. The protesters also burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
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