Sangma urges NE parties to leave BJP over citizenship bill,

Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma of the Congress Sunday urged political parties of the Northeastern region to snap their partnership with the BJP following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement that the Citizenship Bill would be passed in the Parliament soon.

Sangma also likened Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to Judas, a close disciple of Jesus Christ widely believed to have betrayed the Lord, after he the BJP led Assam government would not harm the people's interests.

He also dared Sonowal to quit the BJP and his post to safeguard the interests of the indigenous people of Assam as the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre is moving ahead with The Citizenship Bill.

The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955. It seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities - Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they do not possess any proper document.

The citizenship bill has been opposed by a large section of people and organisations in the Northeast.

Urging leaders of parties in Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and other states across the region where the BJP is part of the government to end their partnership with the saffron party, Sangma said, "We should send a strong signal if we love our people and if we care for the interest of the indigenous people."
The senior Congress leader compared the Citizenship Bill with the Assam Accord, and asked, "Don't they know the history? The Assam Accord and the turmoil vitiated by it? We have paid for these kinds of situations before."