Dimapur, Feb. 13 (EMN): The controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill saw its first unlikely victim on Wednesday with BJP national secretary of Schedule Tribe Morcha (STM) Hayithung Bill Lotha quitting the party in protest against the Bill.
Lotha said in a press release that ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not seem to care for Northeast (NE) - inflicting great torture and pain on the indigenous people of Assam and north-eastern states, threatening their very existence, identity, language, culture and heritage.’
While extending his support to Neso in opposing the Bill, he stated that the ‘flood-gates from Bangladesh will be opened and Tripura experience will be replicated in the entire Northeast - ultimately finishing off all the ancient indigenous peoples of NE and making them into an insignificant miniscule minority’ if the Bill is passed. He also appreciated various students’ unions and social organisations of the region for vigorously “protesting for the future and betterment of our NE indigenous peoples.”
Recounting the time he joined the ABVP (students’ wing of BJP) in 2003 as a young law student in Delhi University, he said that he was grateful for the tasks being entrusted to him in various capacities by the party during his 15 years’ association. However, he said that he was “finding it difficult to understand the current functioning of BJP and the governance provided by Narendra Modi.”
“I can no more say that, I have the same emotional and sentimental attachment to the party,” he said, adding that “the minorities, scheduled tribes, dalits and backward caste leaders have extremely little or no voice in decision making and party strategies/policy planning.”
Even as he spewed venom at the party, he said he has “made some of the best friends of my life in BJP, and I thank all of them, for the many years of being able to work together hand-in-hand to build up this great nation India.”
“Finally, I henceforth resign from BJP,” he concluded.
