The Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 9^th, 2019, said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will not affect the provisions under the sixth schedule of the Constitution of India and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the Northeast. “The Bill will not even affect the existing acts in the state,” the minister said while addressing a press conference at the state BJP headquarter in Guwahati on September 9^th, 2019.

Besides, he said, “The Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji assured that proposed CAB will have a cut-off date of December 31^st, 2014. The proposed CAB will not, in any way, override the provisions of the 6^th Schedule, Inner Line Permit, and state acts like Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act.”

“Specific provisions would be included in the proposed Amendment Bill itself. All the current laws and regulations and state laws enacted for protecting the cultural, linguistics and other rights of North Eastern region will not get diluted by the proposed CAB,” he further added.

Photo: TIME8