Shillong Feb 14: Congress leader and former Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr Mukul Sangma termed parties that support the BJP as “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) would have been tabled and passed in Rajya Sabha by the BJP-led NDA if the Congress-led opposition was not there.

“The Congress-led united opposition stood firm and remained as a strong wall, otherwise, they (BJP-led NDA) were determined to pass the bill despite tamasha threats shown by NDA allies,” Sangma said, while reacting to the inability of the BJP on Wednesday to pass the Bill in Rajya Sabha.

Stating that the proposed CAB was bulldozed in Lok Sabha just because they have the majority, Sangma said, “The Congress-led opposition was there in Rajya Sabha to prevent leadership of the government of the day from proceeding ahead with their intent to pass this Bill. The whole country has seen how Congress has stood firm in its commitment to protect the interest of the nation in general and the people of NE especially the microscopic ethnic groups. Today the nation has witnessed how Congress is the only party which is the factor for keeping the nation together. The whole world is seeing that only the Congress and like-minded parties understand the complexities of this diverse nation. We have assured the people of this nation and the Northeast including by Congress president, Rahul Gandhi himself that we will not allow this Bill to be passed in Rajya Sabha. This was what we have said and done,” Sangma said.

Sangma said that though the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha decided that this bill should not be brought in because it is controversial and will cause disturbances in the whole Northeast, but they (NDA government) again bulldozed, and brought in supplementary list to introduce the Bill in Rajya Sabha. But they could not pass the Bill because of the firm commitment of the Congress in defending the nation and defending the interest of the people.

He said that the BJP wanted ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ because Congress is the only party that comes on their way whenever they wanted to implement or do something which is not accepted to the people.

“All those who are party to the ‘Congress mukht Bharat’ agenda should now realize because BJP knows all these years that the Congress has been for the integration of the nation. All these years, when Congress was at the helm of affairs, we did not see this kind of situation. They have engaged this plot just to remain in power and we know the methodology that they are going to adopt,” he said.

Sangma also said that the Congress has already made its position clear that if the Bill is passed, the party would bring back to Parliament and repeal the Bill.

“We have stood firm and did not play to the gallery unlike others. I see that people who did not have even one MP are claiming that they have managed to stop the Bill. Infact the civil society organizations from the Northeast have been reaching out to various political parties. I have also sought appointment for them with representatives of political parties like BSP, SP TDP, BJD that have substantial representatives in Rajya Sabha,” Sangma said.

Asked if the Bill would have negative impact in the country if it was passed in Rajya Sabha, Sangma said that the people of the nation as a whole have not been analytical about the ultimate content and likely fallout of the Bill.

“But the people of the North Eastern Region have analyzed it because we have been confronted by this kind of problem. This agenda will result in creating frustration, anger, sense of alienation and threat to the integration of the nation and the future of the nation will be disastrous. Northeast is part of the nation, and states in the region are frontier states. But the BJP’s myopic agenda is just to win seats by playing this kind of dirty and divisive politics,” Sangma lambasted.

On the allies of BJP-led NDA and partners of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), Sangma said, “these people shamelessly are telling the people that we are with you. They are not with us but they are with the BJP. If these parties are with the people of the Northeast, they cannot be with the BJP. But they are and have been with the BJP even when the Bill was bulldozed and passed in the Lok Sabha. That was the time that they should say ‘good bye’ because of the anti people agenda of the BJP that is going to be disastrous for the nation. But these people are power-hungry and wanted to somehow cling to power whether BJP CM or ministers in Assam and other Chief Ministers.

“One MP from Nagaland who belonged to the Nagaland CM’s party has voted for the bill in Lok Sabha. Those who are part of NEDA are for this bill including the Arunachal CM who said that Arunachal will not have problem because there is ILP. All these partners are still part of NEDA and they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They should show their true colour on the day when the Bill was passed in Lok Sabha but these shameless people have exposed their true colour. I must say these are the Judas who betrayed the people of the Northeast,” Sangma slammed.

On the NPP’s decision to move out of NDA if the Bill is passed in Rajya Sabha, Sangma said, “these people know that the Congress is in Rajya Sabha. We have told everybody that let them come in Rajya Sabha we will defeat them and we have defeated them on Wednesday. If Congress is not there, they would have bulldozed. I have been reminding the people that the BJP wanted to rule the states because it also wanted to have majority in Rajya Sabha.”

Sangma also thanked the people and civil society organizations for standing firm in opposing the Bill.