Citizenship Bill Row: Asom Gana Parishad Leaders Tender Resignation As State Ministers to CM Sarbananada Sonowal

Guwahati, January 9: Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leaders including Atul Bora today tendered resignation as state Ministers to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananada Sonowal. AGP quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam Government in protest against the Citizenship Bill. Yesterday, the bill was passed in Lok Sabha amidst protest from the opposition. The bill will now be tabled in Rajya Sabha. While speaking on the bill in the lower house, Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured people of Assam that the Centre would protect their customs, tradition, linguistics and culture.

The Home Minister further added that the burden of the bill would not only fall on Assam but the entire country. Singh also said that the politicians of the nation do not want religious persecution. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Meenakshi Lekhi said the demography of eastern India is changing due to illegal immigrants. However, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal opposed the bill. The bill has evoked strong protests in Assam. Other opposition parties on including Communist Party of India (Marxist) also opposed the bill.

Yesterday, the protest over the Citizenship Bill turned violent in Assam. Protesters clashed with police. Meanwhile, six tribal youths, agitating against the NDA government's controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, were injured in police firing in Tripura on January 8. A jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force was also injured following an attack by agitators, who also burnt down at least 22 shops in the area.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2019 08:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).