BJP’s door is open to anti-CAB groups: Shullai

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 4, 2019

SHILLONG: BJP leader Sanbor Shullai on Friday said the state party is ready to act as a bridge between the Centre and the NGOs which are protesting against the move to implement the Citizenship Amendment Bill. 

“Our door is open for the NGOs…if they want to go to Delhi and speak face to face with the Prime Minister or the Union Home Minister or anybody, we will lead them,” Shullai told reporters here. 

This also came a day after the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizations (CoMSO) took out a public protest sponsored by the North East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP) to demand the immediate scrapping of the CAB.   

Shullai also invited the NGOs to provide suggestions to the party on the issue. The South Shillong legislator had earlier submitted a memorandum to the Centre demanding that Meghalaya and North East states should be exempted from the CAB.

“The Centre may implement in any part of India that is not our look out but as far as the NE and Meghalaya is concerned, the principle Bill should be amended and liberty should be given to the states on whether to implement the CAB or not,” he said. 

Asked, Shullai said the state party would again take up the matter with the Centre if its proposal is yet to be considered. 

However, this idea was rejected by the CoMSO on ground that exemption would only be a short term relief especially in view that the state do not mechanism like the Inner Line Permit to check entry of illegal immigrants. 

On this, Shullai informed that he would lead a delegation to Delhi after the Durga Puja festival and issues related to the CAB and ILP will also be included in the agenda.