Meghalaya's ruling coalition member UDP passes resolution to

United Democratic Party, the main ally of the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), on Monday passed a resolution to oppose the Centre's move to implement the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill in the state, party officials said.

The leaders of the party will be attending the NPP-AGP-sponsored meeting of all the regional political parties in Guwahati on Tuesday to oppose the CAB.

We have adopted a resolution to oppose the Bill piloted and sponsored by the Centre under the BJP to regularise and invite all those people from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to come to India and become Indian citizens, UDP working president B M Lanong told mediapersons after the Chief Executive Committee meeting of the party here chaired by party president and Assembly Speaker Donkupar Roy.

He said the party is of the view that the Citizenship issue should be dealt within the law of the Citizenship Act and Illegal Migrant Act.

The UDP leader accused the BJP of passing the Bill with an aim to win votes.

Under these relevant acts the question of citizenship should be dealt with but not for the purpose of vote investment as done by the BJP, he said, adding that the Bill if allowed to become a law will threaten the security of the country and North East in particular.

The former deputy chief minister further recalled that the then Assam Governor SK Sinha had written to the President of India in 1998 about the several lakhs of people from Bangladesh who infiltrated into India but the Centre did not do anything about it.

He reminded of the agitation in Assam which is going on till now against the infiltration of people from Bangladesh directly into Assam.

Stating that Meghalaya will be the first state in the North East region to get affected by the Bill after Assam, Lanong announced that the will work with likeminded regional parties to oppose this Bill in the North East.

UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said the party will be writing to all the chief ministers of the North East, urging them on the need to work in close coordination to safeguard the rights and interest of the indigenous people of the region.

We need to work together as it is us who has to decide about the future and destiny of the region and also to address the concerns of small communities, Jemino said.