People against CAB, Mizoram CM tells Shah

CM, HM discuss key issues

Aizawl, Oct. 5: Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga Saturday told visiting Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the people of the state are against the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955, an official statement said.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 could open a “floodgate of illegal immigrants” in Mizoram, an official statement said.

Mr Zoramthanga met Shah, who is also the BJP national president, at the Raj Bhavan here and the two leaders discussed several other issues. This was Shah’s first visit to Mizoram after assuming office.

An umbrella organisation of major civil society bodies and student associations of Mizoram met Mr Shah at the Raj Bhavan here on Saturday and submitted a memorandum demanding that the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 should not be legislated in Parliament.

If the Bill is passed in Parliament then Mizoram and other north eastern states which are opposed to the contentious bill should be exempted from its ambit, the memorandum by the Mizoram NGO Coordination Committee said.

The committee had earlier decided to organise a protest rally against the proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill but changed its decision and met Shah to discuss its demands.

Mr Shah had said on October 1 that the Citizenship Amendment Bill would be passed in Parliament which will grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after seven years of stay in the country even if they do not possess proper documents.