Citizenship bill protest: BJP lawmakers rush to Assam to assuage concerns
Violent protests in Assam have dampened the euphoria over the passage of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was cleared by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, compelling the BJP to dispatch its MPs from the state to assuage concerns on the ground. The party is pulling out all the stops to assure that the legislation – that seeks to give citizenship to persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh – does not target minorities or change the demographics in the Northeastern states.