in the light of the standing Gauhati High Order against bandh calls is ‘illegal and unconstitutional’- Dr Himant Biswa Sarma
Guwahati
The 12 hrs Assam bandh called jointly by 46 organisation in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, is ‘illegal and unconstitutional’, in the light of the standing Gauhati High Order against such bandh calls stated Assam’s minister Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma.
Assam’s minister for Finance, Health and Family Welfare minister, Dr Sarma said complying with such bandhs by anyone including government employees, businessmen, media etc., would amount to contempt of court.
The minister further informed that in view of adverse intelligence reports, the state government would not allow holding of the proposed mass rally being organised on November 17 by organisations representing Bengali Hindus in the state in support of the Citizenship Bill.
It must be mention here that ‘The decision to call for state wide bandh on October 23 was taken in a meeting of 44 indigenous people’s organisations held here on Saturday under the aegis of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP)’.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 proposes to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and came to India before December 31, 2014, eligible for citizenship.
This has created panic in Assam where illegal migration from Bangladesh is a burning issue and indigenous communities are fearing that enactment of the Bill would reduce them to minority in the state.
