Lapse of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill greeted with celebration in Assam; Tripura's Biplab Deb says 'no one can disrupt peace'

Guwahati: Opposition parties in Assam celebrated after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill failed to make it through the Rajya Sabha. Attempts by the Central government to introduce the Bill in Rajya Sabha in the past six weeks were thwarted by the Opposition which sought it be referred to a Select Committee. The issue in the past gave rise to numerous protests in the state. [caption id=“attachment_6084341” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Congress workers celebrate in Guwahati, after the lapse of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. ANI[/caption] Celebrations were also seen outside Congress office in Guwahati after Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 did not get passed in Upper House. Commenting on the issue, Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb said, “My government will not allow anyone to disrupt the peace and harmony in the state.” The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha on 8 January, seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. Under the proposed amendments, the minimum residency period for citizenship is being reduced from the existing 12 years under the present law to seven years. However, citizenship will be given to them only after due scrutiny and recommendation of district authorities and the state government. The passage of the Bill in Lok Sabha has led to widespread protests in the North East. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were imposed in East and West Imphal districts ahead of the proposed tabling of citizenship Bill in Rajya Sabha.