NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP and Congress sparred in the Lok Sabha over the violence in the Northeast after the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament.
Leader of the Congress in the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue in the House and the Opposition parties sought to corner the government. Citing media reports on the widespread violence in Assam and other parts of the Northeast, Chowdhury accused the government of reviving the social fissures in the state.
He said the entire Northeast was up in flames and the Army has been deployed. He argued that the Northeast has huge strategic importance for the country which could be harmed by the spate of violence. “The Kashmir situation has been replicated in the Northeast,” the Congress MP said.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi shot back accusing the Congress of fuelling violence in the Northeast by spreading misinformation regarding the Bill and condemned the party for that.
Following Joshi’s remarks, Congress MPs along with DMK members walked out of the House.