‘No turmoil in northeast because of Citizenship Bill’

Kolkata, Jan 31 (IANS) Brushing aside talks of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, putting the BJP on the backfoot in the northeast, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Wednesday alleged that some organisations "lacking in any support base" were misleading people on the issue for "personal gains".

Deb said claims about the BJP being defensive on the issue was "complete falsehood and baseless".

"The claim that the BJP is on the backfoot in the northeastern region because of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is a complete falsehood and baseless.

"Had there been turmoil in the region on the bill... then the BJP would not have won the autonomous council elections in Assam. This shows people are with us," Deb told mediapersons here.

Deb was referring to the BJP bagging 19 of the 28 seats in the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council elections (in Assam) held on January 19, days after the protests over the bill -- that seeks to provide Indian citizenship to religious communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan -- other than Muslims -- who became refugees in these countries following persecution.

The Lok Sabha has already cleared the bill, which is now pending in the Rajya Sabha.

"The organisations which lack any support base in the region are protesting. They are misleading the people by trying to portray the northeast as a troubled region. We will see to it that they don't succeed."

On the BJP's allies in the region opposing the bill, Deb said all parties had their own policy.

"But the fact is that, the huge level of development that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ushered in the region, will result in the BJP winning 20-21 of the 25 seats in the region," he said.