Meghalaya CM threatens to quit NDA coalition if Citizenship bill is passed in Rajya Sabha

Amid widespread protests in the Northeast over the contentious citizenship bill, National Peoples Party (NPP) president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma Saturday threatened that his party will quit the NDA if the proposed legislation is passed in Rajya Sabha. The NPP, which is in power in Meghalaya and backs the governments in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, adopted a resolution to this effect at its general body convention here Saturday, he said. The NPP leaders of all the four northeastern states were present at the meeting.

"The party took a unanimous resolution to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 and based on that decision a resolution passed. If the bill is passed, the NPP will break its ties with the NDA," Sangma told media persons here after the meeting. "This decision was taken today at the general body meeting," he added. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8 and the government is expecting to get the Rajya Sabha nod in this session.

(With inputs from agencies.)