Assam BJP MPs missing from JPC meeting

The state is under constant turmoil over the hearing of the Joint Parliamentary Committee(JPC) over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016. However, two Bharatiya Janata Party MP's who are members of the JPC, Ramen Deka and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa were not present in the meeting held at Delhi on Tuesday. Congress MP's Sushmita Deb and Bhubneshwar Kalita were  present in the meeting.

The opinions of Foreign, Home and Law Ministry officials would be taken into account by the JPC in the meeting today. The JPC will submit a report to parliament after taking into consideration the opinions of the government organisations.

The hearing on the Citizenship Amendment Bill started at 3 pm on Tuesday in New Delhi. Earlier, the hearing was schedule at 11 am, but due to the 12-hour bandh called by over 60 organisations in Assam including the Congress against the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee  with the Ministries of Home and External Affairs over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, the time was postponed.

Earlier on Sunday, a representatives' group of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP ) met Rajendra Agwarwal, the chairman of (JPC)  in Meerut.

The representatives' team led by AGP president Atul Bora had submitted a memorandum against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to JPC chairman Rajendra Agwarwal on behalf of AGP and their wings.

Recently, in the state executive meet of Assam Pradesh BJP, the saffron party showed their immense support for pushing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, while promising to deport the infiltrators from Bangladesh has triggered a wave of resentment and anxiety about radicalisation of sub-nationalist elements in Assamese society.