Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday sought to allay fears on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill passed by Parliament, saying it won't have an adverse effect on the state and asserted that implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord will usher a new hope of "political stability".
Describing the bill as a "historic one", the BJP's key strategist for the northeast said there will be no "long term political fallout" due to the legislation.
Protests have erupted across Assam and other north-eastern states including Tripura after the citizenship bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. People defying curfew have come out to the streets to protest against the bill which they claim will make the state a dumping ground for refugees.
Incidents of stone pelting on the residences of Chief Minister and Union Ministers have also been reported.
"This bill will help various refugees who came because of religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will get citizenship. Of course there is some resentment in Assam but I am sure that this bill will not have an adverse effect," Sarma told PTI.
He further said Home Minister Amit Shah has promised the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord will pave way for new hope of political stability in the state.
"...implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord which promised by Home Minister Amit Shah will create a new hope of political stability in Assam. So I believe that there will be no long term political fallout," he said.
The Assam accord is a memorandum of settlement signed in 1985 by the representatives of the All Assam Students Union (AASU), the Assam government and the Centre.
The accord was the culmination of the six-year-long Assam Movement, an agitation led by AASU demanding identification and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
As per the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, the "constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people."
Sarma, who was present in Parliament on Wednesday when the bill was passed by Rajya Sabha, claimed that all regional parties of the Northeast supported the legislation, even those which are official with Congress-led UPA.
"Important to note that in voting in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday all the regional political parties of Northeast voted in favour of the bill. There was speculation that parties belonging to NDA from Northeast may not vote in favour. But in the end, parties not only belonging to NDA even the party which is officially with UPA like NPF also voted in the bill's favour," he claimed.
Sarma, who is also the convener of the BJP-led North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), said this bill will help the party in times to come.
