AGP committed 'historic blunder' by not supporting Citizenship Bill: Sarma

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has committed a ''historic blunder'' by not extending support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and has betrayed the Assamese, state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Tuesday, a day after the party withdrew support to the ruling BJP-led alliance.

Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta had committed the first blunder by signing the Assam Accord and the party made the second ''historic blunder'' by not extending support to the Bill, Sarma said.

Lok Sabha passed on Tuesday the Bill that seeks to amend Citizenship Act 1955 to grant Indian nationality to people from minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they don't possess any proper document.

''We are grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Bill and saving 18 Assam assembly seats from going into the hands of 'Jinnah' or AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal',' Sarma said.

''I am proud of being an Assamese and the BJP is committed to protect the interest of the indigeneous population," the minister told reporters here.