Regional parties in NE, East take varied positions on CAA

The enactment of the new citizenship law has left BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad in a quandary following protests in Assam, with the party deciding to move the Supreme Court to scrap the Act, days after backing it in Parliament.

It, however, is still a partner in the BJP- led NDA.

"We will take the legal route to seek revocation of the amended Act as the indigenous people of Assam are apprehensive that their identity, language might come under threat," AGP leader Kumar Deepak Das had told PTI on Sunday.

However, the party looked like a divided house with its president and state minister Atul Bora appearing more resilient and accomodative.

He said on Sunday that the Brahmaputra Valley should be excluded from the purview of the law, which may be implemented in the Barak Valley. Barak Valley has vast Muslim population, besides substantial number of Hindu migrants from Bangladesh who stand to benefit from the new law.

The AGP had walked out of the NDA in January this year following the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill by the Lok Sabha. It, however, returned to the NDA fold as the Bill expired with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. It contested the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections in alliance with the BJP.

Here is how other regional parties stand on the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the north east and east:
(Assam)