Nagaland Assembly passes resolution against citizenship bill

The Nagaland Assembly has passed a resolution, rejecting outright the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, amid a walkout by 26 opposition MLAs.

The resolution, passed on Monday, denounced the bill, stating it cannot be implemented in Nagaland as the proposed legislation will impact the "unique history and status of the Nagas under the Constitution".

It was moved by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday.

The resolution also expressed solidarity with the states and communities of the Northeast in opposing the bill, as it has the potential of "changing the demographic profile, which will be against the interest of indigenous tribes and can divest them of their constitutionally guaranteed political, cultural and economic rights".

The opposition MLAs, however, walked out of the assembly, saying they would not support the resolution in its present form.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India.