Shillong, May 11: The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 concluded its visit to Meghalaya on Friday.

The committee led by the Chairman who is also the BJP MP from Meerut, Rajendra Agrawal arrived in Shillong on Thursday and met various pressure groups including representatives of the North East Students’ Organization (NESO) at the State Convention Centre.

The JPC team received petitions and heard views expressed by various groups against the Bill.

The Bill has been opposed since it will facilitate granting Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan when they come to India illegally to escape from religious persecution, even if they have no proper documents.

Sources said that on Friday, officials of the Meghalaya government met the JPC team and informed about the stand taken by the state government in opposing the Bill.

“Nothing in writing was submitted to the JPC, and the issue was raised verbally,” sources said.

The Meghalaya government was represented by Chief Secretary Yeshi Tsering and officials from the state home department including Director General of Police, S.B. Singh.

On May 8, The NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government has decided to oppose the Bill and the move to oppose the Bill was decided in the meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma.

Meanwhile before leaving Shillong, Agrawal said that the job of the JPC was to visit various states and meet respective stakeholders to take their views on the Bill.

“The committee will submit its recommendations and will mention that various states opposed it (Bill). Whatever views and suggestions received, it is the duty of the JPC to incorporate while making the recommendations. We are the Committee of Parliament to study views of stake holders,” he said.

According to Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Bhubaneswar Kalita who is also the member of the JPC, during meeting with various stakeholders in Meghalaya, everyone opposed the amendment bill.

Kalita said that various groups raised various points and there were also demands to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP).

The NESO in a memorandum submitted to the JPC has pointed out that the Bill would defeat the purpose of signing the Assam Accord where March 25, 1971 is cut off year for detection and deportation of foreigners from Assam.

“In totality, we oppose the Bill and demand that ILP system be introduced for the entire North Eastern Regi