NDA-ally NPP demands repeal of CAA in 'interest' of North East at all-party meeting

During the all-party meeting ahead of the Parliament's Winter Session on Sunday, Meghalaya's ruling party National People's Party (NPP) issued an appeal to the Union Government, asking it to revoke the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. Citing the recent revocation of the Farms Laws, NPP, which is an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), urged the Centre to repeal CAA as well. Asking the Union Government to keep the 'sentiments' of the people from the Northeast in mind, NPP MP Agatha Sangma said that the demand was on behalf of her party, and the people of the region. 

"Since the farm laws have been repealed and this was primarily keeping in mind the interests of the people, therefore, I requested the government to repeal the CAA keeping in mind the same sort of sentiments of the people from the north-east," she said told PTI after the meeting here. "There was no response from the government but it has taken note of the demand", Sangma said, adding that she had made the demand on behalf of my party and people from the northeast. 

The all-party meeting chaired ahead of Parliament's Winter Session 2021

The all-party meeting convened by the Union government on Sunday ahead of the Winter session witnessed drama after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a walkout. AAP leader Sanjay Singh claimed that the Union government was 'not letting anyone speak at the meeting'. 

According to Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, during the meeting, parties demanded a law guaranteeing MSP to farmers, and had opposed the tabling of the Electricity Amendment Bill. Kharge also revealed that a Rs 4 lakh compensation per person had been demanded by COVID-19 victims as well as for the kin of the farmers who lost their lives during the agitation.

The Winter session of the Parliament will last from November 29 to December 23. Setting a packed agenda, the Centre has tabled 26 bills for consideration and passage. Some of the key bills are the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, Electricity (Amendment) Bill, Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill and Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill.

(With Agency Inputs)

Image: ANI/PTI