Govt replicates Kashmir phenomena in NE: Congress on CAB

 In the backdrop of rising tide of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in northeastern states, the Congress on Thursday accused the Centre of replicating Kashmir "phenomena" in the region by deploying Army and banning mobile internet.

Congress leader of the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, a day after the Army was deployed in Guwahati after the state administration clamped an indefinite curfew in the city along with a mobile internet ban in ten Assam districts.

The steps were taken in Assam as part of clampdown to stem the rising protest against the CAB, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

In Tripura, Assam Rifles units were deployed to prevent a return of Tuesday's violent protests.

"In the wake of Citizenship Bill that has been passed in both the houses of Parliament, the entire northeast region is in turmoil. Already Army has been deployed, internet services have been discontinued. Kashmir phenomena have been replicated in the northeast region," Chowdhury said.

The MP from West Bengal also alleged that the situation in Kashmir is not "normal" because of the Central government.

"Now, northeast is turning like that. Both the areas are of strategic importance," he said urging the government to help solve the issue.

He said that Bangladesh government jumped in saying, "what is being done by Indian government is not fine. "Lakhs of crores of Hindus reside in Bangladesh peacefully."

Interrupting the Congress leader, Lok Sabha Speaker remarked: "Bangladesh and the UK cannot run India's Parliament. In Indian Parliament, rules and procedures will be followed as per Indian Constitution; it will not be guided by any country."

Meanwhile, Chowdhury said "we don't want that our relation with Bangladesh be affected because China and Pakistan are trying to get benefit out of the situation. I want the government to realize this."

The issue led to an uproar in the lower house with treasury benches objecting to Chowdhury's remarks.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi accused the Congress of "instigating" violence in northeastern region over CAB which seeks to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Congress has termed it as "unconstitutional".

"I condemned the attitude," Joshi said.

BJP's Nishikant Dubey said Bangladesh was a secular country when it was created. "It turned into an Islamic country later."

Dubey accused Congress of encouraging infiltration of illegal migrants in the northeast, saying M.K. Subba, was the Congress MP who only helped increase infiltration.

"He only tried to help infiltrate people from Bangladesh and other places. Only because of the Congress, the Christianity has been increased in the northeast. That is why they are instigating them," he said.IANS