CAB an attempt by govt to distract people from its failures on NRC, economy: Cong

Claiming that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to "weaken the country", the Congress on Monday alleged the legislation has been brought in to distract people from the failures of the BJP-led government on NRC and the economic front.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said the bill is in violation of many articles of the Constitution and the basic spirit of the Preamble which talks of equality, liberty and fraternity.

Claiming that the BJP is "digging a political graveyard" for its NDA allies from northeastern states, Gogoi appealed to those parties to vote with their conscience and not vote according to political compulsions in Parliament.

"I am saying, there are political compulsions of these regional parties and it is a test in time that their vote on this bill will go down in history and people will remember them for that. They don't understand that BJP is digging a political graveyard for these parties," he said.

Asked will the Congress challenge the bill in Supreme Court, he said, "I am sure if this bill is passed, there are some in the Congress party who are itching to challenge this in the court."