MDA govt not happy with CAB

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 6, 2019

SHILLONG: The ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) led by the National People’s Party (NPP) has expressed unhappiness over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 as it exempts only the scheduled areas of the state.

The alliance has also decided to again write to the government of India to wholly exempt the state of Meghalaya from the purview of the Bill.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the alliance’s coordination committee chaired by the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma here on Friday.

Leaders of the different coalition partners – United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), People’s Democratic Front (PDF), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – attended the meeting.

After the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters that the government of India will bring it (CAB) in the Parliament on Monday and the MDA government is still not happy and not satisfied with the Bill.

Although the CAB has exempted scheduled areas of Meghalaya from the purview of the Act, the government and the people of the state wants total exemption from the Act, he said.

The coordination committee of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) held a meeting today.

We discuss the issue on the passing of the amendment of the Citizenship Bill in the Parliament. We have seen from reports that the Government of India will bring it in the parliament on Monday.

“Scheduled areas in as far as Meghalaya is concerned is not less than 96-97 percent. So if the government can exempt 96-97 percent why not another 2-3 per cent. Please make it hundred percent,” Tynsong said.