Mizoram BJP to be dissolved if Citizenship Bill not revoked: State unit chief

Mizoram BJP chief John V Hluna on Tuesday threatened to dissolve the party's state unit if the national leadership goes ahead with the passage of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, "harming the interests of northeast people".

He stressed that people of Mizoram and their safety were of "primary importance".

"The BJP state unit was formed to safeguard the interests of the people of Mizoram. If the central leadership decides to legislate the proposed amendment, the state unit would have no option but to dissolve itself," Hluna told reporters here.

He said he had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other national leaders over the controversial bill and appealed to the party's central leadership to revoke it.

He added that as an alternative, the state BJP unit also requested the national leaders that the bill, if not revoked, should at least keep the northeastern states out of its purview.

"We would be left with no choice but to dissolve the BJP state unit if our appeals are not taken into consideration," Hluna said.

The churches in the Christian-majority state have been asked to organise a mass prayer for the bill's defeat in Parliament, he said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8. It seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

Protests against the bill have rocked the entire northeast, including the Mizo National Front-ruled Mizoram.

Several organisations and political parties claim that the bill threatens the identity, language and culture of indigenous people.