Hope Cong won't repeat LS walk-out in RS on Citizenship Bill: JD(U)

The JD(U), a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, Monday expressed hope that the Congress plays a pro-active role and does not walk-out again when the Citizenship Bill comes up for passage in the Rajya Sabha.

The Janata Dal (United), which is ruling Bihar with alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has decided to vote against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 when it comes up in the upper house of parliament.

The bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India even if they do not possess any document.

A JD(U) delegation that was here to attend a meeting of the parties of the northeast opposing the bill also called on leaders of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) which recently snapped its ties with the ruling BJP in Assam over the controversial bill.

"We hope the Congress does not walk out as they did in the Lok Sabha as this will help in the passage of the bill," JD(U) National General Secretary K C Tyagi told reporters.

After the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, the Congress had cited the "flaws" in it as it did not address the Assam Accord and requested the Speaker to send it to a select committee.

The Congress members then staged a walk-out after the Speaker refused to accept the demand.

"There are apprehensions that the Congress may stage a walkout (in Rajya Sabha also) and if this happens, there is no way that the bill can be stopped from being passed," he said.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) does not enjoy majority in the upper house of parliament.

"We were concerned about the Congress walkout in the Lok Sabha. Being the largest party, it should have done floor coordination with other parties," Tyagi, an MP, added.

The JD(U) leader was heading a party delegation to Assam to extend their support to the AGP and other parties protesting against the bill.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced that the party will not support the bill which threatens to change the demographic structure of Assam and the northeast and has vowed to oppose it in and outside parliament, Tyagi said.

"The bill is unfortunate and is not for the welfare of the people but for political gains. We have come to Assam to extend support to the brave people of Assam who are fighting to preserve their culture and identity," he added.

The JD(U) delegation held a meeting with the AGP here and was also scheduled to meet the All Assam Students Union (AASU) leadership, other organsiations and members of the civil society.

AGP president Atul Bora said they held a long discussion with the JD(U) leaders who assured them that they will take all steps to ensure that the bill is not passed in the Rajya Sabha.

"We have chalked out a strategy which we will not like to disclose now but we are united in our fight against the bill," Bora said.

An AGP delegation had last year gone to Bihar to meet Nitish Kumar and seek the JD(U)'s support in getting the bill scrapped.