Akhil Gogoi to launch agitation against CAB on Friday

RTI activist Akhil Gogoi-led Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) on Thursday said it will launch a statewide agitation from Friday against the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Addressing a press conference here, KMSS Adviser Akhil Gogoi said the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) wants to give citizenship to Hindus of foreign countries to make India a Hindu 'rashtra' with the help of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB).

"From tomorrow, KMSS will start its movement against CAB across the state. We will hold a demonstration in Guwahati demanding repeal of the bill," he added.

Gogoi also announced that the KMSS supporters will demonstrate in front of all district headquarters.

"We will distribute leaflets and appeal letters against the bill among the people in the state. Our cadres will visit all homes and try to make people understand the destruction that the CAB will cause to Assamese society," he added.

The KMSS urged the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), which is also protesting against the bill, and all other organisations to unite against the CAB.

"This is the crisis period of the state and we all should unite together. If CAB is passed, Bangladeshi Hindus will get all the benefits in Assam.

"The Bengali language may become our official state language one day. We will also lose political benefits that we have been getting so far," Gogoi said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 but was not tabled in Rajya Sabha.

It seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians,Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

The existing different laws of all states of the region will remain untouched, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said during a North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) meeting here in September.

The home minister had also asserted that even the cut-off date for CAB will remain December 31, 2014.