'Entire NE given protection under Citizenship Bill'

The entire northeast has been given protection under the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the government's most prominent face from the region, Union minister Kiren Rijiju, said amidst protests across the northeastern states against the contentious bill that was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Speaking at an event here, Rijiju said for the first time in the history of India, the people of the northeast were consulted over such an important bill.

"The concerns of the indigenous people of the northeast have been addressed thoroughly in the bill. I know that protests are going on in the northeast, there are concerns, but those have been addressed by the government. The entire northeast has complete protection under the Citizenship Bill and we do not want the region to fall into the trap of some mis-campaigning," he said when asked to comment on the bill.