AGP withdraws support to BJP in Assam over Citizenship Bill
Guwahati, Jan 7: The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Monday withdrew its support to ruling BJP in Assam over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, AGP president and minister Atul Bora said.
The Bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The decision followed an AGP delegation's meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, who asserted that the government will ensure its passage in Lok Sabha Tuesday, Bora said.
"We made a last ditch attempt today to convince the Centre not to pass the Bill. But Singh told us clearly that it will be passed in Lok Sabha tomorrow. After this, there is no question of remaining in the alliance," Bora said in New Delhi after meeting the home minister.
The announcement followed AGP leader and former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta's statement here that the party would withdraw support to the government in the state if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in passed by Lok Sabha.
The bill seeks to amend Citizenship Act 1955 to grant Indian nationality to people from minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they don't possess any proper document.
The Bill has been opposed by a large section of people and organisations in the Northeast.
The Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI (M) and a few other parties have been steadfastly opposing the bill claiming that citizenship can't be given on the basis of religion and that it is unconstitutional.
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BJP names one more candidate for April 9 Puducherry polls
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Sunday named one more candidate for the April 9 Assembly polls in Puducherry, fielding M Arulmurugan from Karaikal South.
On Saturday, the BJP had released a list of nine candidates for the polls, fielding Home Minister A Namassivayam for re-election from Mannadipet and outgoing Speaker Embalam R Selvam from Manavely.
The ruling AINRC and the BJP-AIADMK combine on Friday reached an agreement for the Assembly polls in the Union territory, where the AINRC will contest 16 seats, and the BJP the remaining 14.
The arrangements were finalised after Puducherry Chief Minister and AINRC leader N Rangasamy held talks with BJP leader and Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya at a private hotel here on Friday.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the AINRC contested 16 seats and won 10, the BJP contested nine seats and won six, while the AIADMK contested five and drew a blank.
The single-phase polling for the 30 seats in Puducherry will be held on April 9, and the results will be declared on May 4.
