Nagaland Assembly on Saturday witnessed noisy scenes, as the Opposition, the Naga People’s Front, protested against the amended Citizenship Act, and insisted that an anti-CAA resolution be passed in the House, taking a cue from States such as Kerala and West Bengal.
Rejecting the NPF demand, Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton said the law would not affect the Nagas, as the States with Inner Line Permit regime have been exempted from its purview.
Opposition leader T.R. Zeliang, NPF MLAs Chotisuh Sazo and Chumben Murry, during a discussion on matters of public importance said that the ILP would not impede influx of illegal immigrants.
Opposition sceptical
Mr. Zeliang said Assam had not been entirely exempted from the purview of the law, making Nagaland, with its porous borders, susceptible to illegal infiltration.
“Let us study the case and find out if the Centre is truly planning to accord citizenship to the persecuted. If that is the case, why only three countries — Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan — have been included in the law? Why not people from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and the Buddhists from Tibet? Does this Act truly stand for what the Central government claims, or is it a law to garner votes?” he said.
He said immigrants in Assam, once granted citizenship, could reach other States in the Northeast.
