BJP ally JDU too opposes CAB
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 25 2019:
North East Executive Council Chairman of Janata Dal (United), Senchumo NSN Lotha, has categorically stated that the party will oppose and vote against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 if it is tabled in the coming Budget Session of the Rajya Sabha.
He further informed that the Parliamentary Committee of JDU will decide and announce the party's final decision for fielding candidates in the coming Lok Sabha election in the State while also conveying that the party is planning to field candidates in both the Parliamentary Constituencies of the State as of now.
Addressing a press meet held at JDU, Manipur State Unit office at New Checkon today, Senchumo NSN Lotha, who is also the president of JDU, Nagaland Unit, asserted that the party is the first political party in India which opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 .
He continued that the National Executive Meeting of JDU which was held in Delhi on July 8 last year had decided to oppose the Bill by a House Resolution even though the party is allied with BJP in the Centre.
Saying that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 is contentious and has the potential of negatively affecting the indigenous people of the North East region, he affirmed that the party will vote against the same Bill if it is tabled in the upcoming Budget Session of the Rajya Sabha.
He then questioned the sincerity of the Congress party regarding its opposition to the Bill when it was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, and added that staging a walk out from the House does not mean much in terms of opposing the Bill.
He contended that the Congress party should instead fight against the Bill in the House as well as from outside the House like the JDU.
On the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, the North East Executive Council Chairman (of JDU) claimed that the JDU in Manipur has capable candidates for contesting and winning the Lok Sabha election.
"Now the time has come for the People's Court to decide who to give their mandate in the Lok Sabha election", he said while exuding confidence that JDU under the leadership of Nitish Kumar will be a success in fighting the election in Manipur and other States.
He claimed that Nitish Kumar is the JDU leader who transformed Bihar by bringing major economic reforms and is also the one responsible for making the same State achieve the highest GDP growth in the country in 2017-18.Senchumo NSN Lotha further declared that JDU will fight the Lok Sabha election in the State's interest as well as a part of the party's ideology of zero tolerance to crime, communalism and corruption and social empowerment.
He stated that JDU is a political party which has National outlook and regional character while adding that the party's opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 is in the interest of the North East region and the State.