The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), which has been passed by Parliament, continued to evoke fiery exchanges in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with the Government accusing the Congress of instigating violence in the northeast following Congress allegation that the most of the North-East was on fire on account of the legislation.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue of violence in parts of the northeast region during the Zero Hour, saying barring a few places the entire region was in “flames”. He said Government could pass the ill-conceived law on account of its brute majority in the House.
“Internet services have been discontinued. We are witnessing that Kashmir phenomenon has been replicated in the northeast region,” he said. Chowdhury also said both these border areas are of strategic importance and the Government should take the deteriorating situation seriously.
At this point Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi stood up saying, “The Congress was instigating violence in the northeast region”. “I condemn their attitude,” he said.
Following Joshi’s remarks, Congress members along with that of DMK walked out of the House proceedings. Later during the Zero Hour, Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress too raised the Assam and Tripura situation demanded a statement from the Government on this. The TMC MPs too walked out of the House in protest.