AS-BILL-ZUBEEN

Five days after writing an open

letter to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over

Citizenship Bill, popular Assam singer Zubeen Garg Sunday

demanded him to return "the votes" obtained using the BJP

election song sung by him in 2016.

In a Facebook post in his official page, Garg also

offered to return the remuneration received from the BJP for

singing the song.

"Dear Sarbananda Sonowal Da, Wrote a letter to you few

days back. Guess you are too busy counting the black flags to

respond," the popular singer wrote, referring to the ongoing

protests across the state with black flags.

"So, can I get the votes back that you earned using my

voice in 2016? I am ready to refund the remuneration," he

added.

Garg has over 8.58 lakh followers on Facebook and the

post has gone viral with over 800 shares in less than 45

minutes.

On January 8, Garg had threatened to launch an

agitation by himself if Sonowal fails to take measures to

scrap the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill within

seven days.

The singer had posted an emotional letter addressed to

the chief minister on social media along with a photograph of

himself holding the letter.

Addressing Sonowal as "Sarbada", Garg had said: "Even

if the Citizenship Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha,

Sarbada can say no to it. Speak and see, rest will be seen

later. I am still keeping my cool.

"I won't be in Assam for one week. It will be good if

Sarbada takes some action before my return. Otherwise this

time, I will agitate on my own. What I will do, I don't know."

Two days later, Bollywood playback singer Angarag

Mahanta (Papon), who hails from Assam, also opposed the

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill saying it hurts the "Assamese

sentiments".

The Citizenship Amendment Bill seeks to amend the

Citizenship Act, 1955 to grant Indian citizenship to the

Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who

fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh,

Pakistan and entered India before December 31, 2014, after six

years of residence in the country, instead of the current 12

years, even if they do not possess any proper documents.